Roulette Rollercoaster
by ATemporarilyLostPhyz
Summary: Potion spill ups, forest adventures, modelling woes and much more.
1. Something's Coming To Hogwarts

**Something's coming to Hogwarts**

"Did you guys hear the exciting news?" Hermione asked elatedly as she waved the _Daily Prophet_ in front of her friends' faces when they sat down for breakfast. Harry and Ron seated themselves, both shaking their heads in the negative. Ron didn't need any motivation to start eating before his ass had even touched the chair. Harry grimaced at his friend's plate and already stuffed mouth as it had only been mere seconds since they had sat down. Hermione shook her head disapprovingly at Ron's fervent consumption of everything within arm's length.

"Whaisi'Ermione?" Ron asked around a mouthful of bacon, eggs and, strangely, tart.

"Ron, don't talk when you're eating!" Hermione barked harshly. Ron sunk back a little into his seat and averted any further confrontation with her by delving into the abundant helping of food.

"What is it, Hermione?" Harry asked, filling his plate with pancakes with syrup and butter, and getting a glass of pumpkin juice. He had noticed that the kids in the hall were all talking excitedly, with a few wildly giggles, mostly from Hufflepuff, erupting in a string, and every so often with a copy of the newspaper in their hand.

"Well," Hermione started, pointedly glaring at Ron, clearly indicating that to him that only Harry's comprehensible question was worthy of an answer, "apparently there's going to be a modelling competition, here at Hogwarts. Can you believe it!?" she screeched.

Harry stared incredulously at her. "A what?" he asked, bemused.

"A modelling competition at Hogwarts. This is going to be so great Harry, you have to enter, I mean look at you, you er, you, er..." Hermione cleared her throat, a light flush colouring her cheeks. "Harry you have to enter!" She finished off, trying to save face.

Harry still couldn't believe that the event was actually going to take place or was just a joke. And he didn't think at all that he was model material and he certainly wasn't going to making himself a fool in front of everyone. Quidditch practice only did so much. That is if this thing was actually going to happen.

"When is this happening?" he asked quickly, also trying to save Hermione from her impassioned vote of confidence. Of course he was flattered, but only slightly; Hermione was his friend and more than anything she would try to have utmost confidence in him by that mere virtue. But his 'fan-club' had to be right about something right? Otherwise there wouldn't be one in the first place. God he hated those nagging, ogling ingrates!

"Fourteenth November," Hermione answered quickly. She took a bite of toffee biscuits.

"That's only next week," Harry pointed out, a little puzzled.

Hermione nodded fervently, beaming at him. She then looked questioningly at him. "So, are you entering?" she asked hopefully. She tried to motivate him, "Malfoy's probably going to do it you know. The guy is an absolute git, but Merlin look at him!" Hermione paled and made a panicky noise at the back of her throat and cleared it. She looked down into the paper she was reading, obviously embarrassed about admitting that Malfoy was anything positive. In looks, especially.

Harry laughed softly at his friend's mortification and then turned to look at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was was enjoying his meal, his mastication modest and his hair falling over the side of his face and over his eyes a little. Harry hated to admit it but Malfoy was anything but a ferret, with his perfect hair and perfect body and perfect strut and perfect skin! He scowled and quickly turned back to his table and began eating.

"So, what does the paper say about this modelling thing?"

"Hm? Oh, it says here that both girls and guys can enter and that _Sorcey Sorcerer__TM_ will be showing off its new designer labels with the students here. Isn't it exciting?" Hermione said jubilantly once again.

"Aren't you entering, if both guys and girl can enter?" Harry asked, evading her question and feeling slightly ticked off by her enthusiasm and earlier comment about Malfoy.

Hermione blushed and waved her hand dismissively. "Of course not, Harry. I don't do these kind of things," she answered with a trace of spite. She knew of her unambitious and nondescript looks. To be completely honest, they were leaning towards the negative; this mostly due to her large front teeth and bushy mane.

The Gryffindor table was alive with fervent chatter and now it seemed that all were waiting for something as they were looking imploringly at Harry. "You still haven't answered the question, Harry," Colin Creevey chided in curiously. There was a general agreeing noise from the whole of the Gryffindor table. Harry was perplexed by this, were they actually expecting him to run for his house in a modelling competition!? All eyes at the table were on him now. The rest of the hall was noisily chatting.

"You want me to model in front of the whole school?" Harry asked incredulously at them, looking around the table and making sure not to look at a specific pair of eyes for too long.

"Yeah," was the general enthusiastic response.

"I don't know," Harry said uncertainly, he wasn't all that confident in himself as his housemates were in him.

"Leaimalone!" Ron warded off with bulging cheeks. "If Harry doesn't want to he doesn't have to," He all but shouted, releasing flying debris of his bolus at anyone with radius of the epicentre that was Ron's mouth. The other guys backed off immediately, not wanting to fall victim to Ron's projectile food pieces.

"Thanks, Ron," Harry muttered to his friend with a grateful smile. Ron nodded vigorously, eyeing his glass of pumpkin juice as it ascended to his lips. Little did Harry know that Ron hadn't done it for entirely selfless reasons. Hermione didn't need any more motivation to fawn over Harry like she always did.

The Gryffindor table, nonetheless, returned to their fervent chit-chat, with the occasional flash of Creevey's camera directed at Harry. Harry had learned to tolerate this, the kid wasn't going anywhere and he certainly wasn't going to give up his camera, so he learned quickly to conform rather than resist, less tedious. Where were all those pictures going if not the _Daily Prophet_? (because the newspaper seemed to always conveniently have a fitting picture of him for every occasion and scenario).


	2. The Modelling Competition

**The Modelling Competition**

Reporters from all sorts of newspapers and photographers from countless magazines, _Witch Weekly_ included, were everywhere, some holding Quick Quotes Quills out at the ready as the glamorous event was about to take place on November 14th on the ground of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. Already there were sporadic flashes of cameras across the packed Great Hall and some quills scribbling furiously before the splendid night had even begun.

The hall was especially refurbished to suit the requirements for such an auspicious fashion show. _Why_ there were having a fashion show Harry could never fathom. The area at the High Table was magically transformed into a stage, with marvellous black curtains that shimmered with silver glittering at either sides of the far walls. In the middle was a long catwalk that stretched from the front of the hall to a little over halfway to the great oak doors. The ceiling was enchanted to sparkle all the conceivable colours but were also darkened and metallic, and were glittering and moving around the ceiling in a wonderful kaleidoscope of colour and light.

The benches of the Great Hall were rearranged. Some were parallel and adjacent to the catwalk and some directly in front of it, stretching almost all the way to the doors of the hall. A few VIPs, mainly the people from _Sorcey Sorcerer_ were there, and some other famous wizard clad in a remarkably uptight purple tweet robes, and witch clothing designers were present in the first row, the parallel ones, Harry could recognize some faces from the Ministry. The teachers and Dumbledore were the few that also sat in the front row, directly in front of the catwalk. The rest of the school that wasn't participating in the modelling itself was sitting at the other benches. Harry and his friends were all situated between their teachers and the VIPs, at the end of the first parallel row with the runway.

Dumbledore and the Chairman of _Sorcey Sorcerer_ had made brief speeches before the beginning of the event, who were followed by fervent and rather impatient clapping. Then the Great Hall dimmed considerably. The loud rumble of excited voices was reduced to hushed whispers as the event finally drew to a start. The whispers died out subsequently, with only the occasional flashing of a camera to be seen in the dimness. Next, the catwalk became illuminated with flying, brilliant floating sparks of light, like magnesium burning in air, adorning the floor and sides of the catwalk.

Slow, soft music started playing from behind, below and above everyone in the room, inciting excited murmurs from the gathered crowd. The music stopped abruptly. There was an instantaneous suspension of time when the room was quiet and the flashing of cameras seized.

The music started again a lot more forcefully and at a faster tempo, making the ground vibrate with every beat. Roars of cheers spread across the Great Hall but the left wing subsequently died a sudden death with one single potent and murderous glare from the Potions master. If looks could kill. Dumbledore laughed softly at Severus', well, rather reliable demeanour in this case. Needless to say in other times, especially during first year Potions classes, that demeanour wouldn't garner similar praise.

Hermione smiled widely at Harry and Ron before returning her attention to the open curtains at the mouth of the catwalk.

The music suddenly flared and out walked Lavender Brown. She had a white and blue checked scarf around her neck, high brown matte boots that complimented her attractive legs, a small sky blue skirt with brown clovers enchanted to twirl and swim around around the skirt, and a light long beige sleeve jersey. Lavender walked down the catwalk with one hand on her hips and had a brave smile on as he descended down the walkway sharply, perhaps she was in the moment. The crowd cheered for her. She turned modestly around and returned, surrounded by claps of admiration and an inadequate, in Lavender's opinion, number flashes of the camera. Dumbledore smiled warmly at her retreating figure.

Before Lavender Brown disappeared from the stage, Zabini walked out with very obvious looking colours; white and green. He wore short black leather boots, a silver silk tank top and green corduroy pants. The majority of the wooing crowd were girls from nearly all the houses, the guys just clapped perfunctorily. Three more students, alternating in sex, came out after him, each wearing more modern witch and wizard clothing designs and were in turn awarded with appreciative applause from the watching crowd.

Then, Draco Malfoy walked out.

Harry had never questioned his sexual orientation until that moment, one single short moment in time. This effect had to have not been exclusive to him.

Draco Malfoy stepped out of the black shimmering curtains clad with white Italian shoes, brilliant white leather pants that weren't too hugging and not too loose, a white plush fur coat with grey lateral stripes, big grey glasses that became transparent at the bottom, and he was bare chested, no shirt under the fur coat. His platinum blonde hair was slicked back neatly, without the gel, and some of it was fluttering behind him as he sauntered down the aisle. He still had on the Malfoy family ring on one of his long, pale aristocratic fingers and had the requisite confident smirk playing at his lips; he knew he was hot, if the make up artists at the back couldn't keep their hands off of him then the spectators were in for a rude awakening.

The crowed went _cra-zy!_ An all of a sudden uproar! Shouts of 'Marry me Malfoy!' and other proclamations of undying love could be heard from here and there from the least suspected people! Least expected as in Luna Lovegood and Parvati Patil (the latter one of Malfoy's most passionate haters). Indeed it seemed most weren't immune to Draco's attractive show, they probably weren't even rooting for the clothes but the wearer himself. The students and VIPs clapped vigorously at the descending god of all things beautiful, eyes smarting with tears of joy and awe, hands paining from excessive clapping, and voices hoarse from screaming so much.

Hermione was applauding wildly, her hands a blur of digits, and her eyes shining with admiration at Malfoy, damn him for being such a prick but damn his thrice for looking like that, it really wasn't fair. Ron was blinking furiously, seeming as if trying to ward off an effect of some kind and was eyeing Malfoy with forced disgust.

Harry was gaping openly at Malfoy, his eyes following the gorgeous figure down the catwalk. He tried to look away but his eyes refused, so he closed his mouth instead, which was more acquiescent in complying with his orders after been caught by Malfoy looking smugly at him. Malfoy's chest was alabaster pale, luminous skin stretched over lightly defined muscle, the balance between prominently masculine and slender, normal built because Malfoy certainly wasn't buff and he certainly wasn't lacking definition in muscle tone. Even Malfoy's forehead looked sexy! His clothing really matched his complexion and his platinum hair. Harry just couldn't help it and his mouth fell open again.

Malfoy's smirk grew as he halted at the end of the catwalk. The screams became even louder and more desperate and the camera flashes becoming so frequent that they were forming an almost continuous blanket of white light in his eyes as he took it all in. He stopped at the front end for several seconds to revel and drink in the admiration and more than generous flashing of the cameras. He then turned around and saw Potter staring at him with awe and with his jaw hanging open. Malfoy's smirk grew even more at his nemesis' ogling.

He then stopped right in front of him and slowly bent his knees to get lower to Harry's level, the runway was above everyone's head, except for Goyle, Crabbe, Weasley's and some of the teacher staff. He stood with his knees and legs and then took off his glasses. Harry couldn't move. He saw Malfoy go down to take off his glasses and then come closely to his face enough to feel his breathe. Harry loathed to admit it then but damn Malfoy looked good, and up close he had full view to Malfoy's pale face with no trace of pollutants like blemishes, pimples, freckles, moles, absolutely nothing, just smooth luminous skin only conceivable created by the gods themselves, just like the rest of his body, ethereal. Harry's deep, questioning emeralds melted into stunning silver and he forgot that the rest of the world existed. Malfoy was smirking at him with a knowing and triumphant glint in his eyes.

Malfoy leant over the edge of the walkway. If it was anybody else, the move would look precarious and stupidly risky. But Malfoy had this graceful air about him that made you believe everything else in the world bent to his whims, just like the edge of the catwalk wouldn't betray him by letting him topple over. How did Malfoy manage to do that was a question his closest friends had quite a lifetime asking themselves.

"Come on, Potter, aren't you game? See what you're missing out on?" he said, indicating this when his eyes roaming all around the Great Hall. He looked at Harry again, sat on his haunches and continued, "You can only beat me to the snitch Potter," He then lightly roamed his hands over his chest sexily and languidly, tilting his head slightly backwards. "Nothing more." With that he stood up elegantly again and starting walking up the catwalk. People were screaming their lungs dry at Malfoy's actions when he was talking to Potter and were rooting him on as he traversed the length of the runway once more. Malfoy took all of this within in stride and made his way to the curtains with measured steps.


	3. Aftermath & Anigamus

**Aftermath & Animagus**

Why did Harry react like that? Jeez, it was just another human being, it was nothing special, it was just an attractive body and Harry was respectfully admiring that, that's all. Harry smacked himself on his forehead with his hand, silently cursing himself for appearing so enthralled with Draco Malfoy. It was morning and he was making his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast his friend Ron.

"What's with you mate?" Ron asked curiously, referring to Harry's self-punishment.

"Oh nothing, Ron, just remembered something," Harry answered distantly.

The both of them sat themselves across from Hermione who was already there as always and started filling up their plates. Harry was still surprise to see that Ron's plate was already half-full when he was only starting to load his own plate. When Ron was determined, he was determined. He could clear out the whole Hogwarts kitchen in one sitting if he wanted to. Harry wasn't too keen on exploring that theory.

A few moments later, Malfoy walked in with the air of a king, as usual. Needless to say the crowd went ecstatic. The Hufflepuffs were the worst, screaming and just going frantic. There were a handful of Gryffindors who also made their enthralled noises heard and subsequently earned yet more scathing looks from their fellow housemates for such despicable acts of treachery, and as it were the same perpetrators from Potions. The hall burst into roars and screaming as Malfoy traipsed down to the Slytherin table with a proud smirk plastered on his face, even some of the admirers other boys! His two bodyguards were looking slightly confused and dazed about what was happening and more than disoriented at all the noise, and so were being extra vigilant in protecting their leader. Yes, Crabbe and Goyle weren't the brightest of wizards, if at all wizards. Pansy was also smiling pridefully whilst she walked through the hall to their house's table with Draco in hand. At least she would be the girlfriend of the sexiest and most sought after guy in the school and probably in its history, if that wasn't Lucius by any chance. Damn the Malfoy family was popping 'em out!

Harry turned around in his seat and started on his breakfast with a scowl. Why did the git always had to have so much attention? _Pompous git_, Harry thought irritably. Ron had also gone back to eating and ignoring the chaos that was breaking out in the hall.

There was wooing and clapping of hands and whistles from all around the room. The Gryffindor table was the one with the modest praise but all other houses were unmitigated. Professor Snape pinched his nose in exasperation and muttering something under his breathe about incorrigible ingrates and headache potions. Mrs McGonagall maintained her staunch and strict countenance and regarded the unfolding scene with a sharp gaze, and Professor Dumbledore looked on over his half-moon glasses with a small smile across his lips. No doubt Mr Malfoy was the star of the event. The boy did take after his stunning and beautiful mother Narcissa Malfoy quite well.

Yes, Dumbledore remembered the aristocratic girl that was always well mannered, always had her faculties in check, always with a small, courteous smile and always with those enigmatic cerulean irises, those eyes that were so silently enthralling and unforgivably modest. And Dumbledore remembered that they held so much mystery and secretes behind them, such polite concealment one would never suspect, not even the great wizard, Albus Dumbledore. She never showed any other emotion than that smile and those cautious eyes. Dumbledore admired Narcissa for her quiet elegance and diligence. The Malfoys were truly something.

Slowly, the praises and claps died out and everybody had returned to their normal conversations. Snape was nowhere to be seen. Parvati was fanning her red face and drinking some pumpkingjuice to restore her dry throat after her endorsing shouts.

Harry welcomed the general return of normality to the hall. They were just exaggerating the situation. Malfoy wasn't that good looking the night before... Harry stopped thinking about that there with a shake of his head.

Hermione, Harry and lastly, Ron, quickly finished their breakfast and then stood and left the hall. They were walking briskly to the dungeons for potions to escape the group of girls behind that were gushing on about Malfoy.

But they weren't so lucky.

"Oi, Potter," Draco dared not raise his voice, certainly not for Potter of all people.

The Holy Trio stopped in their tracks. Harry turned around and prepared for yet another confrontation with Malfoy. Somehow those acid insults never got numb, they always came with the very same razor sharpness and biting sting since first year. Even he couldn't understand why Malfoy got to him like he did. He fully believed that even if he did take a Calming Potion, he would have Malfoy in a headlock within minutes if they were to spent time in a classroom together.

Draco walked with Pansy in tow and his towering huge boulders behind him to Potter and his Muggle lovers. He stopped at a comfortable length and rearranged his arms that were already folded a little. "Well, Potter, it seemed that you enjoyed the show yesterday did you not?" lilted the more feminine of the Malfoy men, with an unforgiving smirk on his pale handsome face. Pansy had a lingering smile on he pug like face as she brushed Draco's arms, obviously still relishing the moments from the occurrence back in the Great Hall.

Harry for the life of him couldn't prevent the flood of heat that rushed into his cheeks. He knew what Malfoy was referring to, everyone did. Harry tried to harden the look in his eyes as retaliation for his mortification. Damn and he knew he was blushing like a ruby because Malfoy's smirk had increased exponentially. The first thing that came to his mind reflexively was to tell him to sod off but, the question was innocuous, outwardly, and if he said that to him then he would be incriminating himself there by showing he was offended. Shit. Malfoy had him.

"Yes, just like the rest of the school and the glamorous Wizarding world. Compliments on your reception," he said coolly and then turned to leave quickly. Mafloy's smirk fell as quickly as it had rose. No wait, he was supposed to have milked more out of the situation than that! Draco felt robbed and almost betrayed, Potter usually fell for these things head first.

Draco inhaled a calming breathe and lifted his chin proudly. He then took off in the same direction without looking behind at whether Crabbe and Goyle were following or not. Pansy was still lodged at his side. They entered the Potions classroom a few minutes later and waited for the ominous slam of the door to announce Snape's grand arrival. The class trickled into the classroom until all were seated.

Seconds later, the door slammed open and closed just as loudly. Black robes were billowing furiously as Snape trudged to the front of the classroom with his natural half-scowl in place. He turned around sharply and his scowled deepened as he took in the occupants of his classroom. Let it be said Snape certainly had the flare for the dramatics.

"Today," He began ominously, roaming his eyes faithlessly over the faces of the entire class, with the exception of Malfoy upon whom he nodded the slightest at. "We will be attempting the Animagus Revealer potion." he intoned in a slow, calculating and obviously authoritative voice. "A simple potion that allows the drinker to morph into his or her personal Animagus form for a limited period only." At the end of this his eyes fell over Potter for the briefest of seconds and looked away casually. "The potion is relatively simple but that as has been previously proven does not guarantee success." He stressed as he pointedly eyed Neville Longbottom who squirmed into his seat.

The rest of the class snickered at him. The Potions professor continued as if nothing happened. "The potion instructions are listed on the board. You know where to find the ingredients and if you haven't then get out of my classroom now," he said sternly, turning around in a fluttery of robes to scan the students behind him to see who would leave. Nobody moved. _Damn them._

"I will expect you to brew the potion with your partner for the majority of the lesson. In the last thirty minutes you will test your dubious concoction on yourself and today you might just find out what Animagus you are,"

Snape turned around and commanded, "You may begin." he ordered as he made his way to his quarters, away from all of those... children.

Harry packed up his things morosely and gave Hermione a commiserating smile before walking over to Malfoy's desk and put down his things. "Malfoy," Harry greeted without looking at who he was addressing in the eye, it was still too soon.

Malfoy waved his hand dismissively and continued preparing his utensils and ingredients on top of the table. "You might want to get the rest of the ingredients that I haven't got, namely wormwood and periwinkle," Malfoy ordered superiorly, finally deeming Potter worthy of his attention. Harry was more than glad to get away from Malfoy for a legitimate reason even if it was for a few seconds.

Harry returned seconds later with the required ingredients to Malfoy's table. He gathered that Malfoy had gotten the rest of the ingredients from his Potions kit which was sitting next to the wall.

Malfoy took a moment to scrutinize Harry.

Harry saw Malfoy looking at him and then remembered what happened in the hallway. _Damn him_, he cursed as he felt his cheeks burn again. Why did he have to stare at him like that last night! Harry felt the sudden urge to slap his forehead again but restrained himself in front of him. He grew uncomfortable and irritated at the look coming his way. "What?" he finally demanded tightly, unnecessarily blushing.

Malfoy's smirk was reborn with a vengeance. "Nothing," he replied, and then turned to begin the brewing of the potion. He started to measure the newt powder on his scale but then saw Potter who was inert. "Potter, if you are expecting to receive marks on this potion I suggest you begin skinning the viper shoots and chopping up the wormwood. Now would be good." And then turned back to his work.

Harry glared at him before picking up Malfoy's ornate carving knife and began chopping the wormwood vigorously.

There was a period of time where they were working in harmonious and uninterrupted peace. It lasted for about ten seconds. "Tell me, what part of the night did you enjoy the most, Potter?" Malfoy asked so casually that

Harry nearly said _You_ automatically. He held his tongue though. "What's it to you?" he asked defensively.

Malfoy shrugged. "Just making polite conversation," he said casually, as if they did this everyday. That obviously wasn't the case and they both knew it.

"The whole night sucked. Why would Hogwarts want to stage a fashion show of all things?"

"I believe you evaded the question, Potter," Malfoy pointed out kindly. He was anything but kind in intent.

Harry gritted his teeth. "I didn't enjoy anything in particular, the show was what it was, just some kids running up and down a runway," he said almost petulantly.

"One's eyes glazed over and mouth open doesn't say to me that one is not enjoying what one was seeing, especially at that particular moment, wouldn't you agree?" Malfoy lilted with an innocent expression, though a small smirk was tugging at the sides of his lips.

Harry blossomed cerise yet again, how many times was he going to blush today? Maybe many more times because they still had Transfiguration and CMC with the Slytherins. He scowled at Draco but said nothing. "Don't worry Potter, you're not the only victim. You do know that I am going to hold this on your head until graduation right?" Malfoy warned timeously, his opponent needed to know what he was in for. Wait, he saw an opportunity to humiliate Potter just then.

"Unless," he said after a few moments, feeling and rolling the coming words on his tongue like some fine French wine, but he waited a little.

Harry finally snapped. "Unless what?" he all but barked impatiently, anything was better than being reminded about yesterday from then for two more years to come.

"Unless you tell me that I'm hot," Malfoy wagered and smirked as he saw Potter's eyes widen.

Harry stared incredulously at Malfoy for what seemed like forever.

"What?" he asked finally.

Malfoy gave him a blank look to signify that he wouldn't be dignifying the inane question.

"You-y-you want me to say what?" Harry asked in disbelieve. The lab work was completely forgotten. Malfoy had also abandoned his tasks, his arms were folded.

"Yes, Potter, unless you want me to torture you daily with the way you practically drank me up and indulged your eyes and lusted af-"

"Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed quickly, loudly enough for the surrounding lab partners to shoot him strange looks. He was blushing hard to his roots and it had probably spread to his ears and neck. Malfoy laughed airily at his reaction. Harry closed his eyes and took a calming breathe.

"I wasn't drinking you up Malfoy, or indulging my eyes or lusting after your body," He declared tersely. Malfoy raised an eyebrow, obviously indicating his absolute disbelief and Harry's filling in his unfinished sentence. Harry was getting frustrated. "Fine." he said, looking at Malfoy's shoes rather than in the eyes. His jaw worked a couple of times and he pursed his lips a couple of times as well, as if mentally organizing the Founding Fathers' speech rather saying just two measly words. "You swear I will never hear of this again?" he asked. Why would Harry believe Malfoy to hold a promise anyway?

Malfoy looked like he actually considered it carefully and then nodded in the end. He had just thought of another brilliant plan! Hhm, two spontaneous brilliant ideas only a few minutes apart, yes intelligence certainly was an advantage. Harry took another another breathe and fixed his eyes in the area between Malfoy's eyes, dismissing Malfoy's strangely placid acquiescence.

Malfoy's saw the thin line of flesh between Potter lips tear apart as his mouth opened to say something. In one swift, deft move he reached for his wand, grabbed it, and pointed it at Potter's throat in a matter of splits seconds and softly muttered "Sonorus."

"You're hot."

The words reverberated off the walls of the Potions classroom, echoing loudly and stamping out all possible doubt of its message. The class stopped rambling and began to swirl their collective heads to the source of the booming voice. In his quarters, Snape looked up from his work, asked himself if he had heard right and then dismissed the thought to return to his work. From the sound of it, it was Potter's voice and he had been working with Malfoy. If what he thought he heard was from Harry and directed at Malfoy...

Potter's eyes grew wide slowly at what had just happened. The room was dead quiet after hearing in none other than Harry Potter's voice saying that someone was hot. And the source of that declaration was looking at the person he was addressing: Draco Malfoy.

There was a moment of silence. The first to crack were the Slytherins when they figured out what Malfoy had done, judging by where his wand was still aimed at. They let out a roar of sudden laughter which caught fire way too quickly and in no time most of the class was rolling on the floor. The Gryffindors had looked hesitant to betray, though some inexorably had wide lopsided grins on their faces. Hermione couldn't take it. She burst out laughing, and tried to maintain some modesty by placing a placating hand on her traitorous mouth, but to no avail. Ron turned to look at her from where he was stationed with Pansy with a vehement glare. The glare lost all potency when he saw Hermione shaking with laughter and her hair vibrating and the surrounding laughter, so he also cracked.

Harry watched as Malfoy tried to stop himself from a full hearted fit of hysteria with unbelieving eyes. Before he knew it his hands were on the other boy's slender neck. And just then that damnable Snape decided to walk in to investigate the raucous of noise. Talk about perfect timing.

"What is this!? Silence! Potter! Fifteen points from Gryffindor for threatening to asphyxiate a student!" Roared Snape. The room went from guffawing to mute in a few milliseconds when Snape bellowed for silence."And ten points for the probable cause of the noise!" he added the last spitefully as an afterthought, as if Potter owned forty other laughing voices.

"Sorry, sir." Harry muttered unrepentantly under his breathe as he returned to his work of peeling the viper shoots. Malfoy straightened his robes and dusted them off from imaginary dust and also resumed his duties. Everybody followed suit hurriedly and in no time the Potions classroom was restored to silent diligence. Snape lingered for a moments with narrowed eyes and then retreated into his study again with a loud bang of the door.

"You bastard!" Harry hissed furiously at Malfoy, cutting his viper shoots more forcefully.

Malfoy laughed. "Potter, you're priceless!" He said with a chuckle. He composed himself shortly. "Hhm, thank you for the compliment, it's much appreciated, though I can't say I didn't know it before," he said imperiously, totally unmoved by Harry's indignant accusation.

Harry couldn't even imagine what would happen when he got back to the common room.

The period progressed without further incident. That is, until the potion testing.

Right on time, Snape emerged loudly out of his study and stalked to the front of the classroom. "Get up here with your... potions. After changing back to your original self, you should tell us what your Animagus form is." He said curtly with much doubt in his voice. The potion wasn't really difficult, there was just a few tricky areas that could easily be overcome.

Once the entire population of the class was at the front, Snape began. "Right. Since you were so pleased to disrupt the class from their preparations, Mr Potter, it is only fitting." The man never ran out of makeshift excuses that were made up on the spot. The class giggled, remembering the praising words of the Boy-Who-Lived to Malfoy. Harry blushed and went to the front with his head bowed. Snape would usually choose him first when the crowd was the most attentive and interested, the first trial.

He walked into the centre of the circle that was made up by the students. Malfoy walked over and handed him the vial with a smirk as he had done last time. Harry was disgusted with himself that he actually took the potion to be brewed perfectly for granted because of Malfoy's expertise. There was no denying it, Malfoy was the highest achieving pupil in Potions. In the beginning Harry had been too quick to attribute that to his status as teacher's pet but soon discovered the exquisite capacity of those long, pale, capable hands. He raised the vial slowly and then downed the concoction in one gulp. The taste bordered on soapy and slightly sour.

He felt the purple viscous fluid travel slowly down his oesophagus and settle into his stomach. Then his superficial nerve ending began tingling a little.

The kids watched in awe as what was before Harry Potter was then a fierce griffin. Magnificent huge wings, which seemed to swallow the size of the rest of the body, spread out before them. Harry, in his Animagus form, felt empowered and invincible at that moment. Snape's papers on his desk were flying around in swirls in mid-air, the windows were rattling a little bit and the potion jars were shaking. All the desks in the classroom were rumbling slightly. Everybody took this in with wide eyes around the room. There was always an exception to Harry Potter. Snape had an inscrutable expression plastered on his face again as he watched the small griffin creature in front of him.

The sight was witnessed for a mere five seconds before a white, flashing light returned the creature to its precursor. Harry blinked liked an owl behind his round glasses after feeling the the familiar odd sensation of having ingested a potion, especially a non-medical potion, slowly disintegrating in his stomach.

Snape's voice penetrated the air sharply. "Well, Mr Potter?" The revered Potions master prodded impatiently. "A griffin," Harry said with less confidence than he expected of himself. That effect was inherent in Snape's presence, the man made you doubt yourself. Snape was probably capable of making him doubt his own name if the professor was to ask him a second time with a raise of an eyebrow. "Very well, Mr Potter. Move. Mr Malfoy if you would please." Harry moved away from the centre of the circle and took Malfoy's place where he was standing, watching his rival stand confidently in front of everybody and ingesting the serum.

A few moments of inactivity passed before a golden light quickly engulfed the young Slytherin and within its diminishing wake was the emerging image of a stunning creature. It's leathery scales glittering emerald in the dim dungeons, a stark white underbelly running from head to tow, a long powerful-looking tail and two brilliantly silver horns sticking out from the head. The class wowed its amazement. The dragon snake paused for a moment, and then it reared its head and out of its mouth came out a fierce jet of fire. Everybody screamed and tried to back out of the way, but the fire didn't reach them as Malfoy had replaced the creature.

"A Dragonsnake." Malfoy intoned confidently without prompting from Professor Snape. This rare display of courtesy from the professor was of course reserved for his number one student. The Slytherin Head of House gave a small approving nod and ordered another student to take the stand. Nothing had vibrated like when Harry was in his Animagus form as well as for the rest of the following students.

In another twenty five minutes the lesson was over. People started bagging their tomes and quills and making their way outside the classroom with excited chatter, having now known what their Animagus forms were. Ron had been a large lion with a fiercely orange main and tail tip, both merely a shade lighter than his normal red hair. Hermione's was a startling white owl with an appreciable wingspan and two huge hazelnuts that seemed to burn right through to your deepest secrets. And guess what Neville's Animagus form was. Yes, a giant hamster. What possible use could that be leaves to be pondered by the highest philosophers and they still wouldn't fathom it in time before the next redistribution of Universal Magic.


	4. Harry's Power

**Harry's Power**

But before Harry had escaped the precarious volatility of Snape's tongue, he heard the man call his name to remain behind. Harry cursed under his breathe. Great, another private meeting with Snape was all he needed. He walked over to the front of Snape's desk and waited patiently.

Snape rearranged some of the parchments on his desk in neat stacks whilst waiting for the students get away from his classroom far enough. _Damn nuisances. _Snape absent-mindedly wondered if he could create a potion for mass murder. He dismissed the thought as quickly as it came, remembering the resident headmaster in office. Anybody else would have approved. When everybody had left and they were the only two occupants of the class, Snape came around his desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Never being the one to waste time, Snape got on with the matter. "It seems you fail to control your powers Mr Potter," he said under condescendingly lidded eyes.

Harry rustled at the statement for both reasons that apparently he wasn't in control of his faculties and Professor Snape's tone of voice.

"What do you mean?" he asked apprehensively.

Snape curbed the urge to roll his eyes to the heavens and rather settled for a requisite scowl. "It _means_, Potter," He practically spat his name out. "that you are a nuisance since you cannot keep yourself in check. I would advice you not to do anything that will cause vibrations in this class whilst I'm witness to it, I'm sure you don't want Him knowing how powerful you are."

Harry was confused for a moment and then he got it. Voldemort. Snape was a spy and so Voldemort could use Legilimency to see in his mind. Harry formed a silent 'o' with his lips.

"Yes, Mr Potter. I advice you to go to the headmaster and let him teach you how to control your magic. Don't let your emotions run you Mr Potter, do grow up," He added the last phrase exhaustedly.

"Yes, sir." Harry assented shortly in irritation.

Snape eyed Harry with a piercing gaze until Harry shifted about and couldn't take it anymore. Just when he was going to snap at Snape and ask him why was he looking at him that way, the Potions professor spoke up. Damn the bastard's timing. Again. "When is or was your birthday, Mr Potter?" the professor asked finally, even though he knew the answer to his own question. Bloody hell, the whole Wizarding World knew the birth date of Harry Potter, there were more books of Harry Potter's biography than Albus Dumbledore's great defeat of Grindewald or his legendary discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood. But of course Snape wasn't going to allow such recognition to the insufferable imbecile in front of him.

Harry was thrown off with unexpected question. "Er, July thirtieth. Why?" he replied in question uncertainly.

Snape gazed at him appraisingly again with a raised eyebrow. "Usually powerful wizards go through what is known as inheritance on their sixteenth birthday, when they gain new magical powers no matter how small or large. But taking your age into account and your recent disturbances with rattling my classroom, I wonder if you have already received your new powers," He rubbed his chin thoughtful. And one had to also take seriously into account that Potter was an exception in almost everything.

"But it usually happens when I'm angry or something, surely that can't be because of any new powers, just heightened emotion, like I used to blow things up when I had tantrums when I was a baby," Harry reasoned. Snape quirked his eyebrow. "And just how do you know you used to blow up things when you were a baby?" asked the Potions master purely out of a chance to issue disparaging comments rather than curiosity. Professor Snape was almost incapable of curiosity, the man just didn't give a fuck about anything or anyone, except for his godson of course.

Harry looked apprehensive at answering, he knew Professor Snape didn't like the man and so would take any opportunity to throw insults at him, his absence was absolutely irrelevant.

"Remus told me," He said with eyes that dared Snape to attack the name.

Snape, being Snape, didn't back down. "That is Professor Lupin to you. Hhm, yes I can see it now. You and Professor Lupin sitting cosily in front of a warm fire place, exchanging photos of past tragedies and wiping each others tears. Pathetic really. I wonder if werewolves can cry..."

Harry's knuckles were white at his sides and his jaw was set. He didn't remove his glare from Snape. Snape smirked at the offended boy in front of him. "Back to the matter at hand. I suggest that you take this matter to Professor Dumbledore and he will take the necessary precautions. He will probably teach you to control your powers if they are not a result of your emotions. If indeed they _are_ caused by your emotions then I suggest you _get a grip_. Now get out." Snape glared at Harry with the last phrase, having said it with such potent finality that it needn't be challenged or even responded to. Harry was more than happy to oblige. He closed the door behind him with a satisfying thud.

_Prick._ Harry thought angrily. He stomped off to Transfiguration.


	5. Harry Exposed

**Harry Exposed**

The next day Harry pushed the huge oak doors of the Great Hall open and walked to the Gryffindor table. A few Hufflepuffs giggled and covered their mouths as has he walked by them. Harry chalked it to just them being Hufflepuffs by their very nature. "Morning." He greeted his two friends with a smile. "Morning." Hermione greeted back without taking her eyes off _The Daily Prophet_. Ron just nodded, his mouth was too full of what must have previously resembled risotto and pancake to speak.

Harry gathered some food onto his plate and sat down to eat. "So what does the _The Daily Prophet_ have to say about today?" he asked, his disapproval at the disrepute newspaper evident in his voice, remembering his unfortunate run-ins with it.

Hermione didn't need any further motivation. "Malfoy has been nominated for Witch Weekly's sexiest bachelor." Hermione intoned impassively, or what she hoped sounded impassive. Harry shook his head in disdain. "Don't people have anything better to do than decide who is hot and who's not and post half naked men on some magazine?"

Hermione raised a bushy eyebrow. "And just how do you know that they post them half-naked?" she asked curiously.

"Parvati showed me once. Why don't ask me, I think she just wanted conversation or something," Harry replied easily without taking his food off the plate. Hermione's suspicions were dismissed effectively. "There's a picture of you too here, and it's not as flattering," Hermione said tentatively.

Harry stopped munching on his scrambled eggs and asked, "What?" in slight trepidation. Instead of answering him, Hermione gave him the newspaper to look for himself.

Harry took it and saw a picture of him mouth agape and his eyes glazed over at staring at the elegant figure of a posing Draco Malfoy. Harry didn't even give his brain enough time to process the picture completely, he closed the newspaper and gave it back to Hermione without a word. He scowled at his food and stuffed a forkful into his mouth forcefully.

Ron laughed at him but was quickly cut off with a good jab to the ribs courtesy of Harry's elbow, which caused him to splutter a little. This of course made Harry laugh at him as payback.

A few Gryffindor started shooting heated glares at something behind Harry but he wasn't bothered, he was still mortified about the picture.

"Well, Potter, the saying goes 'pictures say a thousand words'. I think you would agree, wouldn't you?" Malfoy asked silkily in a pleased lilt, holding _The Daily Prophet_ open to the picture Harry had just seen. The hall was silent, all eyes on Malfoy and Harry again, the two hottest boys in Hogwarts were never to be missed going head to head.

"Sod off Malfoy." Harry said defensively.

Malfoy's smirk grew. "Now now, Potter, you shouldn't be addressing the boy of your dreams like that," The hall gasped.

Harry stood up from his chair, his face was twisted in disgust and also sporting a light flush to it. "You wish Malfoy. I don't make it a habit of dreaming about snobbish gits like you," He said heatedly.

Malfoy wasn't at all shaken. "This picture here doesn't suggest so, you know. Take a look, wouldn't you call this ogling?" Malfoy asked smoothly with a raised of a groomed white eyebrow.

Harry was defeated. "Go away, Malfoy," He said in a lower voice, almost growling. Some students giggled.

Malfoy took a step towards Harry, his smirk still plastered on his thin, small coral lips. He reached Harry who hadn't moved a muscle and walked very slowly around him. His face was just hovering over Harry's neck. "You know Potter, pride has no place in matters of the heart. You should follow it," He said in a whisper, still circling Harry in close proximity.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked indignantly, turning around to face Draco who had been a little from his left behind him. The hall was deadly silent. Another encounter between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy!

"You know Potter, you do realize that you're virtually the only person who touches me? I really don't allow people to put their groggy hands on this priceless body, not even my parents. It's just strange to consider that Harry Potter bears the sole privilege, wouldn't you agree?" Malfoy said, having folded his arms expectantly.

Harry couldn't stop himself from feeling oddly flattered at that revelation. And considering Malfoy's snobbishness and the superiority he believes in over others less than himself, it probably was true. He knew at that moment his cheeks were colouring. "It's not my fault you're so stuck up that the only human contact you receive is a blow to the nose, a satisfying one at that I might add," Harry countered, also folding his arms.

Malfoy quirked his eyebrow. "Oh Potter, we could settle that little claim of yours properly you know, in more dignified manners of course, I won't reduce myself to a brawling Muggle," Malfoy replied superiorly.

"You're challenging me to a duel?" Harry asked incredulously. He was surprised Malfoy actually requested one in front of the entire school, and the teachers as well! And more than happy to turn away from the embarrassing 'touching' thing Malfoy merely raised his eyebrow and widened his smirk and started to walk towards the doors of the Great Hall, leaving a confused and flabbergasted Harry and a incensed, gossiping hall in his wake.


	6. The Fierce Duel

**The Fierce Duel**

Later that evening.

"Malfoy if you think you're so superior then why not prove it, in a wizards duel." Harry challenged with that solemn Gryffindor courage making its way to the fore. The crowed cheered and made wooing noises at Draco, all eyes were on him to see what Malfoy was going to do, walk away or accept.

The Slytherin slowly turned around and fixed Harry with cool, calculating and wary eyes. "You're officially challenging me to a duel?" he said with a small smirk Harry wished more than anything to wipe it off.

The raven-haired boy nodded. "What do you say Malfoy?" Harry said, taking out his wand and twirling it with his right hand. "Let's give them a show, yeah?" The gathered crowd in the hallway of forty or so cheered on. Malfoy turned his body the whole way round and walked slowly to Potter, that confident smirk still on. He inhaled a breathe and said, "Very well, Potter, yes let's give them something to see." Malfoy slowly slowly took out his familiar length of oak and also twirled it a little whilst looking at it thoughtfully. Then his eyes captured Harry's again. "I accept." Harry nodded with a small smile.

The two duellists and the crowd made their way to the Quidditch pitch.

Malfoy began to walk slowly backwards, his eyes never leaving Harry's emeralds, until he reached a comfortable distance. "Are Unforgivables allowed?" he asked absently, still backing up.

Harry stared at him incredulously with his mouth slightly open. The crowd also made disbelieving noises and stared at him. Draco smirked at their reaction, how disgustingly innocent they were. "Of course not, Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed, horrified. Draco shrugged casually.

Harry bowed slowly as he watched his opponent do the same. He remembered Voldemort telling him, well, forcing him to bow to him back in the graveyard when he was revived. Harry pushed the thought away quickly. The crowd had quietened down respectfully, and had also backed up quite a bit. A confrontation between those two tended to get a little hairy.

There was a moment where all was silent. The moon was high in the sky and bathed all that was exposed to its weak luminous charm. The sky was dark and clear with a few clumps of stars here and there. There were no birds and insects flying. The Quidditch stadium was the best place to stage this colossal duel. There was not one soul in the stands, all were concentrated in a half circle a few metres away from the competing duellists.

Harry and Draco had their wands drawn and stances firm.

Everybody was anticipating the match. All of the Gryffindor and Slytherins were there. Some students of the other houses were also present but in smaller numbers. It was a handsome crowd.

Harry and Draco held their stances, eyeing each other down.

There was a cough.

"Flipendo!"

"Reducto!"

Both dodged the other's attack easily.

"Incarcerous!" Harry shouted, minding a inkling slithered across his mind, and the tendrils of ropes ejected from his wand and snaked around Draco's legs before he could avoid. He fell to the the floor. Harry seized the opportunity.

"Argh, Impedimenta!" Draco screamed. Harry froze dead in his tracks. Draco struggled out of the binds of the ropes and made to stand up.

Draco's spell shattered way before the time it was supposed to break. Harry quickly regained his bearings and shouted, ignoring a thought rushed past his conscience, "Expelliarmus!" Draco quickly stepped out of the way and then countered,

" Locomotor Mortis!" Harry quickly side-stepped but the spell nicked his right shoulder, now his wand arm was compromised. Harry quickly improvized and took his wand in his left, then shouted, "Petrificius Totalus!" The irritating itch in Harry's mind prodded again and Harry shook his head to clear it. Draco easily ducked the spell since it was a little wayward due to Harry using his left arm.

Harry's wand arm was numb and useless and Malfoy was in stunning form. He had to do something drastic to gain the advantage here. Malfoy was advancing. Harry's eyes flashed.

"Aguamenti!" Draco screamed in adrenaline and a huge twisting hose of water emerged from his wand, going straight for Potter.

Harry knew fire couldn't fight water, but the idea was the becoming more and more insistent. The water was coming in haste and he had to decide, he also didn't want to lose face. In the moment the water was rushing straight at him in all its massive volume, Harry held his wand out and swirled it with his wrist whilst retracting it to his body, a wand movement that hadn't been seen by the observing crowd that was watching in awe. He felt the all too familiar surge of magic that a spell incited from himself and his conduit, his wand. Harry drew his swirling wand and held it to his mouth, like a whistle and then he opened his mouth wide.

Blazing orange fire jetted instantaneously out from his mouth and it rose to the height of the highest stands in the Quidditch stadium. The roaring fire then took the shape of a monstrous snake. The snake was magnificent in size and the way it looked. From Harry's mouth, the giant roaring serpent reared its head and growled at one solitary pale figure in the open ground below, who was frozen in place. The seats in the stands were shaking and vibrating vociferously and the grass blades of the field were orientated in the direction of Harry, concentrating their direction on one single person that was calling upon so much magical energy, like a magnet would to iron filings.

Everybody who was watching gasped in shock and went wide eyed as a huge fire was conjured and had taken a serpentine figure. Malfoy stood frozen. He had never seen such a spell. He was terrified. The snake instantaneously engulfed the incoming water, and reduced it all to vapour in front of everybody's eyes. The tail had done that and now the head was coming at Draco with its teeth bared, which were licking the air. He stood there inanimately, unable to move a single body muscle, and watched as it came for him. This couldn't be it right? This couldn't be how he died. It was only a petty duel, it was only Potter, and he was only fifteen. Somehow in the wake of his demise, Draco couldn't support those arguments, his mind was clogged with inaction, awe and disbelief.

The snake came mere metres from him and it then suddenly retracted its head. It turned to look at Harry and then its embers died out into the air, leaving the air cold once again.

The ground was quiet. Nobody had moved. All, Harry included, stood still in incredulity at the spot where the giant fire snake had just been.

There were so many questions floating in the air, they were so palpable, and Harry could here them.

What was that?

What did Potter do?

Why a snake?

Harry swallowed audibly. He tried to regain some coherency for the sake of sound or movement or any sign of life on the grounds really. "I guess we should call it a draw then." He said tentatively with a small, shaky voice.

The crowd slowly slipped out of their incredulous stupor and became breaking apart to go back to their respective dorms with disconcerted countenances.

Harry looked at Malfoy. "You okay, Malfoy?" He asked, hating how concerned his tone was.

Malfoy composed himself before he spoke. "Exactly what was that, Potter?" He asked folding his arms, evading the question. God he had been terrified.

Harry didn't know the answer to that. All he knew was that since the duel began he had an incorrigible, restless thought at the back of his mind and it had later brought itself to the fore and was manifested into an enormous serpent of fire. Had turned his head to watch the gathered group of students disperse. "I don't know." He whispered. The night was eerily quiet so the Harry's voice was carried easily to Draco's ears.

Malfoy watched Harry warily as he started to walk away from the site where their duel was staged and where the snake was striking at. He strode off from the pitch towards the Slytherin dungeons.

Harry watched as Draco walked off the pitch and disappear into the distance. He didn't know what to think. Had Voldemort given him that thought? Had he somehow taught or told him to make that wand movement and create the fire snake. He looked over at his two friends that remained behind for him and started to walk over to them with his head bowed.

No one said a word while they were walking back to Gryffindor Tower. Things were tense between the trio after what had happened back there. _Maybe I am the heir of Slytherin_, Harry though miserably. The tension was becoming too much and he was tired of avoiding his best friends' eyes. "I think Voldemort did that," he said finally.

Hermione and Ron flinched at the name. Taking this as cue for conversation, Ron came out guns blazing. "How do you think He did that?" Ron and Hermione knew that Harry was connected to Voldemort through his mind and have seen the consequences of such a circumstance, Harry's nightmares left much to be desired. Nobody deserved to suffer in sleep, not like that.

Harry released a frustrated breathe. "I don't know. Before the duel started I had like a thought, but it was distant and vague. But then when I was duelling it kept coming back. It wasn't Voldemort's voice, it was like an idea," Harry slumped his shoulders in defeated and looked down at his shoes whilst walking and having put his hands in his pocket.

"You need to see Dumbledore about this, you know that Harry," Hermione said tentatively.

"Yeah." Harry said dejectedly. That wasn't convincing enough for Hermione. "Harry!" she warned seriously. "Did you see that thing you created! It was a giant fire snake! And you just said it wasn't you that conjured it, He has to be controlling your mind now, don't you see?" she nearly squealed.

"He's not controlling my mind Hermione, it was just a stray thought. And I remember doing the wand movement and opening my mouth, I was in full control. I don't know, I just, it was an idea."

Hermione immediately seized. "A foreign one right? Because I cannot recall you ever doing that spell before. Ron?" she implored.

Ron blanched at his summoning. When Hermione was like this it was best to comply. "Er yeah Harry, I haven't seen that spell before. And it was a snake of all creatures! That has to say something! You-Know-Who has to be the snakiest creature on this planet!" Ron relaxed when Hermione had approved of his offence with an agreeing nod.

Harry really was hearing them, and they were right. The thought was definitely foreign because now matter how dumb Harry was told he was (primarily by Malfoy and Snape), he knew fire couldn't win against water. And he hadn't known that spell before, even though it required no incantation. AND it was a snake!

Snake – Voldemort. One thing. If he was to report this to Dumbledore he would have to tell them that they were duelling illegally outside of class. That probably wouldn't matter, the man had an uncanny ability to know what was going on everywhere. Maybe he should go there. Besides, he liked talking with the headmaster, he had a special place in his heart for him, the man who knew everything and wanted to protect Harry. The man Voldemort had always feared. The man with the twinkling blue eyes and comic disposition. Harry's heart warmed at the thought.

"Yeah, maybe I should," He said more convincingly.

"Good for you Harry." Hermione said firmly. Ron snickered but was cut short by a painful jab in the ribs. Ron swore he saw Hermione's face scrounge up in an effort to drive as much force into the attack as possible. One day his ribs would give in at the constant offences.

They walked in silence again as they walked back to the common room.

Harry and Hermione were doing their homework in front of the heath of the red and gold common room. Ron was also there but both of them knew homework was the last thing he was doing. Hermione made to make sure regardless. Indeed, Ron was drawing a caricature of Snape and an over-exaggerated nose and potion jars attacking him left, right and centre, presumably his own.

"Ron!" she admonished. Ron jumped at his name and quickly scratched out the drawing and took out his Astronomy charts for his Divination homework. Harry shook his head in amusement.

After finishing all his homework fifteen minutes later, he packed up his quills and all made to stand up. "I think I should go now to Dumbledore." he said, yawning widely. Hermione nodded stoically.

"Maybe it's nothing serious, it could be one of your er, you know, just being Harry?" she finished weakly with a proposing face. Harry smiled at her. "Maybe,"

Ten minutes later, he was standing in front of the gargoyle guarding Professor Dumbledore's office. "Lemon Drop." He said, and the gargoyle shifted aside obediently. He knocked on the headmaster's door and heard a muffled "Come in!". He opened the door.

"Ah, Harry my boy, is this a pleasure. Lemon Drop?" The headmaster asked with a smile on his aged face.

Harry smiled and picked some sweets from the proffered bowl. "Hi, professor," He sat down on one of the comfy seats. "Can I help you Harry?" Dumbledore asked with a smile and that knowing twinkle in his eyes.

"Er, yeah," he replied uneasily. The headmaster inclined his head to indicate to him to go on.

"I was duelling er, outside class, with Malfoy," he began uncertainly. Professor Dumbledore merely raised his white eyebrow and looked over his half-moon spectacles. Harry had an inkling that the headmaster already knew what he was going to say. "When we were duelling, I, I did this other spell and it created this huge snake and it was made of fire. I don't know, I think maybe Voldemort had something to do with it,"

Dumbledore considered the matter thoughtfully, stroking his long beard. He steepled his hands and leant back on his chair. "A snake of fire you say?" Harry nodded affirmatively.

"Professor Snape had come by to see me earlier this week," said the aged mage as he rounded his table and sat on it, standing right in front of Harry with his hands clasped.

"Oh, what did he say?" Harry asked. He had an idea.

"He suspects that you have come into your inheritance already. You know what an inheritance is Harry?" the headmaster asked lightly.

"Yeah, Snape told me about it more or less,"

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "Did you experience anything strange on your birthday? Body-wise that is?"

"No, I didn't feel anything, it was just a normal day," Harry informed him. The headmaster nodded once more and stroked his beard thoughtfully again. Could it possibly be?

"I suspect it just could be that your magic is become a little too much for your body," Dumbledore said vaguely.

Harry furrowed his head in confusion. "What?"

Dumbledore eyed him seriously. "What usually happens to very powerful wizards Harry is that they contain so much magical power that sometimes their body need to release it. But this occurs in the most powerful of them, Merlin was one. It appears that every so often the wizard needs to release that magic outwardly so that is doesn't build up and become uncomfortable in the body," He paused so that the child could absorb this.

Harry still didn't understand. And then it hit him. Those times when he was feeling restless, on edge and just bloody uncomfortable , the feeling would be shortly followed by windows vibrating as he walked through the corridor or his quill and homework falling to the floor when he was doing his homework. And after each time that happened he would feel okay again, comfortable and content. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline in understanding. He nodded at the Headmaster. "I think I understand, sir. It has been happening to me a lot, I just didn't take it seriously, chalked it up to me just being my weird self." The headmaster smiled at him with those wise cerulean eyes and nodded.

But the smile quickly dropped as his countenance assumed a serious expression once more.

"Harry, it seems that you're more powerful than I or anyone else had thought. But you have to understand that with great power comes great responsibility. I have only heard of such occurrences and haven't witnessed them myself. I can sense Voldemort's power wherever he is because he is quite a powerful wizard and the same applies to him with me, that is if we didn't have the ability to hide our magical signatures. I don't understand why, if you are indeed powerful, can I not sense your magical presence," He said, looking over his half-moons, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. Harry was listening with rapt attention and a detached acceptance of the apparent magnitude of his power.

"If this is the case, which I strongly believe it is, that you possess exceptionally powerful magic, then Harry it is very important that Voldemort doesn't know of it. Do you understand?" the man asked gravely.

Harry was still reeling with the revelation of this whole magic power thing. "What would he do if he found out?" he asked, royally confounded.

"He will probably begin to overestimate you so that he can by ready for you. And I needn't consider what things Voldemort could possibly be capable of if he were to overestimate his opponent. The results could be dire," The man suddenly looked all his years.

"I think I understand sir," Harry said, trying to convince the both of them.

Professor Dumbledore nodded slowly. "It means Harry that you should try to not let your emotions override you, try not to manifest your power physically,"

"Yes, sir," Harry agreed. Why did people kept telling him he had to control his emotions? He could control his emotions, he was in control, he wasn't a cry baby or a dramatic! Harry was oblivious to the fact that he always wore his heart on his sleeve.

"However that does not explain the strange 'spell' that you had mentioned earlier. Did you know or have seen the particular wand movement of the spell before?" Dumbledore asked.

"No, I hadn't seen it before. It was strange. I kind of felt it at the beginning and then when Malfoy attacked me with the _Aguamenti_ spell, the idea just became clear in my mind and so I did it," he confessed, feeling shameful.

"Well its clear that we cannot rule out the possibility of Voldemort's involvement, and we also have to consider the scope of your apparent magical prowess. At the moment, Harry, I don't have a clear cut solution. But I want you tell me if anything else strange happens," The headmaster told the Gryffindor. "Perhaps this would help. I want you to record anything and everything out of the ordinary, no matter how small." He ordered, searching his drawer. Harry nodded in assent and watched eagerly at what Dumbledore was going to haul out.

"Ah, here it is." The headmaster said merrily, the twinkle returning to his eyes. "Take this Harry." He handed Harry a leather-bound diary. Harry took it and examined it properly. The parchment was high quality and expensive looking. On the inside of the cover, there was a pocket. Harry stuck his finger in it and retrieved a blue, elegant quill made of metal which ran through the entire length of the feather. He looked at it with awe whilst twirling it around, watching it as it caught the light and gleamed a deep blue.

Professor Dumbledore watched Harry exploring the diary with amusement. "The quill's supply of ink is everlasting." He said, turning Harry attention on himself. Harry nodded in understanding. "Also, only you can use the diary since you were the first person to touch it except myself of course, I still have some fight left in his old body don't you think?" the headmaster joked with a wry smile.

Harry giggled. "Yeah, you never cease to amaze me, professor," he said with a smile. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "The diary also allows one to communicate with anybody who possesses its brother. I created these myself and have only created three. One lies with me, one with you now and the other, well, that is unimportant. Although I prefer a physical meeting, you can also contact me via the diary. Don't worry, you can also write anything other than the events that I instructed you to document; it can also be used as a normal diary. The pages on the left hand side of the book I can view the contents of, whereas I cannot view what you write on the right hand side. Quite ingenious if I do say so myself," the old wizard laughed lightly.

Harry whole-heartedly agreed. "Thank you sir, I'll try to tell you anything strange that happens. Why can't you tell me who has the third book?"

"I cannot tell you that Harry, it would betray the person's confidence in me," the headmaster said solemnly.

Harry nodded again, pushing back his curiosity. He stood up. "Well I guess I will see you around, Professor Dumbledore."

Dumbledore raised his hand goodbye. "I'm sure you will Harry, I am not dropping dead anytime soon. Goodnight," he bid Harry merrily.

"Bye, sir." Harry closed the behind him.

Dumbledore sighed sadly. Harry did bring with him some pretty exceptional circumstances. Not only was he the prime target of the Darkest wizard of the century, but he actually rivalled the great Merlin in power. Dumbledore didn't dare consider what would happen if Harry was to go through his initiation (if he hadn't done so already) which would probably augment his current magical power. Dumbledore trusted Harry immensely beyond doubt but, no one can be kept in command of such power. Dumbledore reinforced his confidence in Harry once more to ward out the negative thoughts. He sat back down into his chair and continued writing and signing the parchments that were lying on his desk.

Harry walked through the corridors of Hogwarts whilst studying the diary Professor Dumbledore had given him. It was quite exquisite. It was a deep brown, almost black, hard leather and between it, thick, cream coloured pages of rich parchment. Harry ran his fingers through a single page and sort of felt the residual shimmer and gentle tingle of the magic contained within it. Amazing. Harry looked up and stopped abruptly before running straight into a inclination of the steps and tumbling to the floor. He ascended them and continued to study the diary. The diary had no other writings in it. The only markings were two patterns on the top and bottom of the parchment on the inside of the leather cover, sort of like partial borders. Harry then studied the metal quill. Silver metal spine running from root to tip and dark blue fur on either sides.

Harry reached the portrait to the dorms and said the password, "Constant Vigilance." and proceeded to the fifth year boys dormitory. The common room had been empty and the fire in the hearth was out. He then proceeded to climb out of his robes, put on his pyjamas and plummeted into his bed. This time he didn't dream.


	7. The Potions Assignment

**The Potions Assignment**

"Today," Snape began ominously, already roaming his black cold eyes over the class warily.

"we will be beginning with the term assignment." There was a wave of whining murmurs and moans. Hermione beamed. "Silence!" The sounds stopped abruptly. Snape continued his way through the class. "This potion will take approximately fifteen days to create if you follow the procedure correctly. It is known as the ''_Oriri Legatus _Potion'' This powerful potion will allow one to find out just where did they inherited their magical powers from. In addition, it will also list your most forward magical traits and thus will be able to guide you into the career in which you would thrive." The Potions master stood still for a moment for his students to absorb the magnitude of the task. A lot of the kids wore depressed and dejected faces whilst Ms Granger's was with gleaming eyes. Mr Malfoy was as coldly indifferent as was expected, never one to show overt emotion, although Snape knew that his godson was just as, if not more, thrilled than the Granger girl.

"This potion will count for ten percent of your overall year mark so I suggest you don't take it lightly. You will be making the potion with your regular partner as per usual." There was another rumble of moans and grumbles. Snape smirked triumphantly. "The ingredients that you will need will be listed on the board. Note however, that some ingredients you will not find in this classroom. It is your responsibility you get hold of them when the time comes to add them into your concoction. Some that are missing can be found in the Apothecary in Hogsmeade and some in the Forbidden Forest." Snape lilted the last, enjoying the terrified faces on the students when he mentioned the latter, especially Mr Longbottom's which was drained of colour.

"This is how I will grade your potion: The rate at which the potion reveals the magical traits and abilities that the drinker possesses is directly proportional to the quality of the potion. If your potion takes more than about a minute to do so, you will automatically be rewarded fifteen percent for it. If it reveals in the exact time it takes for you write all the magical properties down you will be rewarded ninety percent. After twenty seconds – seventy percent, after thirty seconds – sixty percent, forty seconds – fifty percent, fifty seconds – forty percent, fifty five seconds – thirty percent and beyond that you will be automatically graded fifteen percent as previously stated."

There was a cacophony of mixed emotions around the Potions classroom. Snape headed back to the front of the class and stood in front stoically. "Now this does not mean that you will not be given anymore work, teaching will go on as usual. Now get on with it." Snape immediately turned around and left for his study, leaving a morose and frustrated class behind.

Hermione squeaked in delight. "Can you believe this Harry, this is so great!" Harry answered her with a scowl.

"Oh come on Harry it's not that bad. Plus you're working with Malfoy so your potion is bound to be perfect," she tried to assure him. Harry's scowl grew even deeper, she just complimented Malfoy.

He sought revenge. "And you'll be working with Neville," he reminded her, his mood having lifted a little. It was Hermione's turn to scowl. She packed up and stood up to move to Neville's desk huffily. Harry did likewise and packed up his things to head to Malfoy.

"Malfoy," Harry greeted. He dropped off his things and crossed his arms.

"Potter," Malfoy greeted back impassively, already setting up the table. He then stood up and also crossed his arms after tossing his head to rearrange his impeccable hair. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, neither backing off and admitting defeat. "Why do you love to look at me so much Potter?" Malfoy asked finally with a hint of a smirk on his lips.

Harry instantaneously blushed and averted his gaze. "I don't love to look at you, Malfoy," he pouted, his tone bordering on petulance.

The infantile smirk graduated to a full blown one. Malfoy got to work. "You can start by collecting the ingredients that you can find that are listed on the board. I had already known of the assignment so I know which ingredients that we are missing, and three of them I can tell you are in the Forbidden Forest." Malfoy finished off with a curious undertone.

Harry ran away from the table to get the relevant ingredients so that he couldn't hang out with Malfoy any longer than he had to, especially when the git kept referring to that blunder that was the Modelling competition.

Harry came back with the relevant sample ingredients and deposited them on the table.

"When are you free so that we can collect some ingredients from the forest?" Malfoy asked, remembering the first year encounter with a dark monster in black robes when he was serving detention with Potter in the Forbidden Forest. He would never admit that he was relieved in having Potter as an accomplice because he was the most powerful student in the school.

Harry was a bit taken aback at the early start, he should have known Malfoy wasn't going to slack on the Potions work. Aargh. "Er, I'm not su-"

"Tonight it is," Malfoy interrupted, he wasn't going to go around Potter's diary of all people. "Seven 'o clock. Don't be late," He warned with a stern look in his Harry's direction.

"I haven't even been given a choice in the matter!?" the raven-haired boy exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air in indignation.

"Of course not," Malfoy replied, looking slightly affronted at the words. "Now you can begin by shredding those and finely chopping these," Malfoy ordered the young Gryffindor. Harry huffed and invariably did as he was told. God the guy was beyond insufferable.

After a few minutes, Harry and Draco had settled into a harmony of diligence. Harry was pulverising the mistletoe and Draco was slowly stirring the magenta brew under licking flames. It was short-lived though.

"Potter, what exactly was that thing you created when we were duelling?" Malfoy asked Harry in a drawling tone that belied the curiosity behind it. Draco wanted to know just what was that thing that nearly made him see his end. Potter seemed agitated since he was starting to grind the mistletoe harder into the stone of the mortar with the pestle he had clenched tightly in his right hand.

"Leave it, Malfoy," Harry replied tightly. He was concentrating on grinding and twisting, grinding and twisting. He didn't have to tell Malfoy what happened back there and how on earth did he conceive to create such a monstrosity of hell. A slight trail of shivers left Harry's hair on end at the back of his neck.

"I think I have a right to know exactly what nearly killed me that night, Potter,"

Malfoy said, his arms now folded, having finished the required twenty four anti-clockwise stirs.

"I don't know," Harry finally answered in a small whisper which was barely audible.

Draco was the master of subtlety and he caught that silent answer. "What do you mean you don't know, you're the one who made it?" Malfoy persisted, unperturbed by the other boy's passionate pulverisation of the mistletoe plant into fine grey powder. Although he did start to notice some of his exquisite cutlery beginning to oscillate, albeit minutely. The sudden rush of adrenaline through this blood squeezed his heart into a pumping hysteria of muscle tissue; Manifestations of raw power.

Harry's jaw worked a little before he warned the blonde Slytherin. "Malfoy, just drop it, okay. I told you, I don't what happened, it just did,"

Malfoy didn't pay heed to any of Potter's words, he wanted to know how Harry had achieved such a feat of creating a stadium high fire snake, and he wanted to aggravate Potter even more so that he could see where the slight vibrating of the potions utensils would end. "No Potter, I will not leave it, I was nearly engulfed by that huge thing and I want to know just how you did it," Malfoy demanded heatedly.

Harry had to control his emotions, just like he had been instructed to, he couldn't let the snobbish ponce get to him. Harry closed his eyes for a few seconds to control the fear and anger welling up inside him. He opened his eyes again which were resolved and fixed and then continued with grinding the mistletoe. The plant was reduced to very fine dust at his extensive hand, he observed.

Malfoy saw that Potter was trying to actively calm himself. That infuriated Draco immensely. He wanted to see Potter's power and he wanted to know why Potter didn't want to reveal how he had done that spell of the huge fire snake. He needed a way to aggravate Potter and he needed it now. Ah, yes, always reliable to fall back on, the boy was disgustingly Gryffindor and thus wouldn't take too kind in hearing his friends' insulted on their person, history or overall worth. But he couldn't just start such insults out of nowhere, he needed a substrate, a precursor he could latch on.

"Potter you are not answering me," Malfoy said with barely hinged irritation and mostly anger, though his tone was still measured yet forward and demanding at the same time.

"We should be concentrating on making the potion, Malfoy, not on big scary fire snakes," Harry replied with a soft, flat, almost sing-song tone which was sufficiently patronizing as Harry noticed with the white of his eye, Malfoy sporting two feint blotches of pink on either cheeks. One really did have to had to admire the self-control the blonde git possessed. He never showed an adequate amount of emotion that would do justice to the relevant situation, even though you could see he was seething behind that mask of cool indifference, he would always make you doubt that observation by blind-sighting you with a very sharp retort or do something graceful that left you feeling you really were inferior. And this could be achieve with the boy just walking past you with an impassive countenance after having a heated argument which happened very seldom because Malfoy usually had the last laugh.

"Potter!"

"JUST LEAVE IT OKAY!?!"

The windows shattered instantly into a thousand pieces. The potion jars and containers exploded in a hundred colours, covering the classroom floor in a rainbow of colours and textures. After all the broken pieces glass and ceramic, there was stunning silence. No one moved, no one spoke. All stood stock still, their arms and hands over their faces protectively to guard against the flying shards. There only two souls still standing were Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Harry had maintained a deathly glare trained straight at Malfoy throughout the entire fall out of the destruction of the Potions classroom, and Malfoy was effortlessly returning the gesture.

Draco had prepared himself for anything when he began his interrogation of Potter knowing that the boy was capable of almost anything, so he tried his best not to flinch at anything that was to suddenly happen. He wasn't particularly proud of his performance when the sudden thing did happen but he wasn't too disappointed either. Malfoy did flinch when things started exploding instantaneously but he didn't throw his hands over his face instinctively like the rest of the class.

He then concentrated on holding Potter's piercing, emerald violation of his eyes. There were green and white sparks that were sparking along the line of their eye contact but neither of them saw them.

A few moments had gone past, the class was still inert. Then, slowly, the door to the study of the Potions master opened. Professor Snape walked slowly out of his quarters and made his way carefully into the classroom, avoiding the mysterious horizontal line of green and silver sparks crackling between Mr Potter and Draco. Both were free of glass pieces and potion stains as well as their immediate surroundings, while the rest of the class was covered with his well established and sought after potions and the shattered glass windows which looked like they had been blown clean from their frames from the inside out since there was little of the glass on the classroom floor.

"What happened here?" Snape asked mainly at the class since the other two were too engaged in killing each other with their eyes. The class slowly came to after being stupefied to inaction by the violent explosion.

Hermione Granger was the first to break of out it and answered the black clad man, though she lamented to because it was his friend's head on a platter, especially considering the rare dragon scales that had been obliteration as well. "It was... Harry, sir," Hermione admitted, her eyes searching for Ron in the aftermath for consolation after such an inadvertently perfidious act. Snape's strong suspicion was confirmed. He turned to the perpetrator and walked to stand in between them, but not in the line of fire.

He eyed the sizzling sparkles warily before addressing the two, not granting the impressive and never before seen magic works any more appreciation. "Mr Potter, would you kindly explain yourself?" Snape said tersely. The sparks instantly vanished as soon as Snape had spoken.

Harry finally averted his eyes to the floor in shame. "Sorry, sir," he mumbled.

"I didn't ask for an apology Mr Potter, I asked for an explanation," Snape sneered in a clipped tone, albeit a little shakily; he was still absorbing the fact that a good proportion of his potion ingredients and whole potions were blown to smithereens. Now all he had was the what was in the supply room.

A moment of silence passed where everybody anticipated Harry's answer and the Potions professor eyeing the raven-haired boy with an unreadable countenance. "I guess I overreacted a bit," Harry finally said in a small voice, head still downcast.

Snape gave Harry an appraising look and then to his godson. "Are you alright, Mr Malfoy?" he asked the lean blonde.

Draco turned to his professor with emotionless eyes as usual and answered; "I'm fine, professor,"

Snape nodded curtly and then turned towards the rest of the class. The class collectively gasped, waiting for the explosion from the professor since he hadn't bellowed out yet in fury. Snape swept his wary gaze across the room, taking in the damage with dispassionate eyes. "Nobody touch anything. Everybody will calmly retrieve their belongings and make their way carefully to the door. It appears that the potions have somewhat mixed amidst what had happened here and it thus gives rise to chances of volatile reactions. Class dismissed."

The students looked appreciatively shaken at their professor's words. They cautiously packed their quills and grabbed their bags and slowly walked out of the class, some even tip-toeing, now knowing that any part of the floor could literally blow up in their faces.

Harry and Draco didn't move from where they were, knowing that since their were involved in the mess, they would have some answering to do or detention to receive. Draco on the other hand wasn't as worried as Harry; his godfather probably wouldn't give him the detention since the entire class was gone and mainly because he wasn't the cause of the destructive phenomena.

The last of the students trickled out of the devastated Potions classroom. Professor Snape looked over the damage again and fought down the surge of fury and frustration that threatened to rise up to his sallow cheeks. He went back to the two boys. "Well, Mr Potter, you've truly outdone yourself today," Snape sneered. "Since I cannot give you the detention of cleaning the mess that you created because of its volatile status, I will however let you spend your detention in the Forbidden Forest, looking for the ingredients that you and your lab partner need for the assignment I just gave out today. Alone," Snape smirked down satisfactorily at the unruly boy.

Malfoy contributed with his own patented smirk. Now he wouldn't have to go into that dreaded forest after all. Malfoy was forever indebted to his mentor, because he really wasn't up to braving the same place where he had an frightening encounter with a big, black floating figure that had just feasted on a unicorn again.

_Great, just great! _Harry thought miserably. "Yes, sir," he said, rearing his head up again and tentatively glaring at Malfoy for his misfortune. Malfoy responded with a quirk of a groomed blonde eyebrow.

Snape nodded. "Very well. You're both dismissed." Snape said. He went back into his study and shut the door tightly.

Harry started collecting his things. "Well, Potter, that was quite something. Are you proud of yourself?" said Malfoy smoothly.

Harry ignored him. He heaved his bag and walked to the door, and went out, Draco soon following after allowing a chuckle to himself.

Draco walked slowly to his Arithmancy class with a smile on his face. _Did you see that, Potter just blew up the entire Potions classroom! Merlin! I swear I nearly pissed my pants off back there. How in Merlin's name did he do that!? _In this area, Draco didn't feel at all guilty about thinking about Potter and how powerful he was. It was something far removed from his natural and grown hatred towards the Golden boy. When Potter did these sort of things, Draco regretted not approaching Potter more properly when he proposed for a friendship back in first year.

"Sweety, whoever gave you that smile does know they will have to go through me first, yeah?" Pansy Parkinson warned lightly as she linked her arm with Draco's.

Draco got out of his marvelling mental recount of the events in Potions that day. "Of course, Pans." He smiled brightly at her, not seeming at all contrite at being caught thinking about Potter of all people. They entered the classroom wit the air of a royal couple and took to their seats.

Today they were learning about the speed with which an object travels to the caster of the 'Accio' spell as a function of first order sound frequency, magical maturity (basically how powerful a witch or wizard you were) and second order aerodynamics, mass and Gravitas (the equivalent of Gravity in Muggle terms).

Draco had read somewhere that Gravitas originated from a curse which was cast tens of thousands of years ago by seven godwizards which visited the earth at one point. Apparently, the godwizards upon their return to the heavens or wherever they came from, didn't want to inspire the people of earth to attempt to do what they did. So in order to leave them grounded, the seven godwizards cast a very powerful curse that apparently, amongst their enchantment when activating the spell, the word 'gravitas' was heard and thus was called that from then one, created a very powerful force that attracted everything to the surface of the earth. He had read this story from one of the books in one of the libraries of Malfoy Manor but he had his own misgivings about the tale.

After a double lesson of challenging and brain-jerking Arithmancy, Draco made his way back to his dormitory to go and chill out, he would go to the Great Hall later for lunch.

Snape, after going into this study for do something, later emerged from the room and went out of the classroom to the headmaster's chambers before his next lesson which would have to be theoretical since the hardware had been obliterated. The spilt potion ingredients were unpredictably unstable and someone with superior cleaning skills to sort the mess on the tables and floors, as well as the superior ability to reduce the contaminating effects of active magic when dealing with magically sensitive ingredients, was needed. And Professor Snape had one of the best wizards alive who could do just that within earshot: Albus Dumbledore.

"Come in!" he heard the old coot's muffled voice beckoned in after rapping twice on the large oak doors. Snape walked into the uselessly cluttered office and stood in front of Dumbledore's desk. Snape nodded his greeting.

"Severus, my boy, how good of you to join me during tea," Dumbledore exclaimed elatedly.

Snape wasn't at all shaken by the man's ridiculous statement, he was used to them. "It's ten in the morning," he drawled brusquely. Dumbledore just twinkled his eyes at him and Snape rolled his eyes. "It's about Potter," he said curtly, getting to the matter at hand to escape the weird inclinations of his superior.

Dumbledore raised an aged eyebrow. "Yes, Severus? What about Harry? Lemon Drops?"

Snape didn't entertain the gesture. "He has struck again. It would seem that whatever you advised him for the problem that he has proved to be ineffective. This morning in my Potions class he somehow managed to clear my window panes of glass and my containers of potions. I found the classroom in devastation when I came out of my study,"

Dumbledore furrowed his forehead and then stroked his beard. "And may I ask what provoked such a reaction from young Mr Potter?" the headmaster asked.

"It was another confrontation between him and Mr Malfoy, and you know what those two are capable of around each other or to each other to be more precise," Snape replied.

Dumbledore made an agreeing nose and then steepled his hands. "Did Mr Malfoy do anything specific to upset Mr Potter, Severus?" inquired Dumbledore.

Snape came up short. He hadn't bothered to investigate the events preceding the incident because, well, he just didn't give a owl's feathery arse about Potter or anything else that was. And his favouritism for the Slytherin Ice Prince might have to be blamed as well to a small extent. "I believe Mr Potter was just being his merry self, always thinking he's above everyone else and thinking the rules don't apply to him," he replied confidently.

Dumbledore quirked a curious eyebrow at the Potions professor. "And exactly what punishment did you deal young Potter?"

Snape looked congested. There was no use lying to the old man, he could probably see through walls let alone a five millimetre thick cranium. Damn the man's Legilimency skills. "I sentenced him to a detention in the Forbidden Forest to collect some ingredients that would be necessary for the term project their currently working on," Snape answered guardedly. He knew the man would never perform Legilimency on a person without their express permission. This fact alone swayed Snape without a doubt and without need of any other evidence, to the conclusion that Albus Dumbledore was a Gryffindor in his much younger years.

"Really, it sounds rather interesting. I do believe that his term project is a dual one am I correct?"

Snape exhaled tiredly, the man knew everything. "Yes," he said tersely, all but hissing, he knew where the man was going. "Then I suggest young Mr Malfoy join him in this little disciplinary expedition would you agree? Seeing that it would serve as his input in the assignment as well as Mr Potter's concurrent punishment?"

"Of course," Snape agreed detachedly with a bitter smile that fell too soon. Dumbledore nodded with a small smile of his own. He made to stand up. Snape now knew that the headmaster knew of the initial purpose of his visit. Snape joined the man alongside out of the office and to his annihilated classroom.

Draco found a ratty school owl on his study desk when he came into his private room. He approached the bird with caution as it seemed the owl was agitated, probably having waited for a while. Draco deftly removed the note from the legs of the bird and immediately the owl hooted indignantly and shot out of the open window. Draco shook his head in amusement at the actions of the owl. Really, birds shouldn't be allowed such personality. He read the note:

_Mr Malfoy,_

_You have detention this evening at 20:30 in the Forbidden Forest together with Mr Potter. _

_There will be no supervision. Meet Professor Hagrid at the Care of Magical Creatures class site who will note your and Mr Potter's attendance._

_Professor Snape_

What the? Didn't Snape just let him off the hook? Dammit. Draco couldn't explain the note so he just burned it and collapsed on his bed for a while. Well, he _was_ planning on getting the ingredients that evening so it was no biggie. It was his free period and he wanted to lie down a little and get some studying done before CMC; he had two graphs to plot; one for the 'Accio' spell and the other for the 'Lumos' spell of which its intensity was a function of the magical maturity alone (physical factors that influenced its intensity are never covered). He sighed. Damn Potter. The morning Potions incident was still fresh and raking on his mind which inadvertently lead to thinking about Potter, the boy didn't deserve such consideration.

"Harry how did you do that!?" Ron asked in awe as soon as his friend had caught up with them in the hallway on their way to Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"Do what?" Harry asked reluctantly, knowing exactly what his friend was referring to.

"I mean, I can understand the explosion, you're a very powerful wizard Harry, but, what was happening between you and Malfoy?" Ron squeaked in disbelieve. Hermione was also curious herself and eyed Harry with barely hidden expectation and patience.

"What?" Harry asked bemusedly. He didn't know what they were talking about after all.

"Harry, what we saw when you and Malfoy were giving each other death glares was like, sparkles, green and white brilliant sparkles, Harry," Hermione informed her friend, her usual eloquence survived by astonishment.

Harry furrowed his head in confusion. "Green and white sparks? I didn't see that at all," he said, genuinely confounded.

Ron and Hermione shared a look. "What do you mean you didn't see that... thing between you too? It was bloody magical!" exclaimed Ron.

"So you didn't see anything strange when you were eyeing Malfoy?" Hermione asked reasonably.

"No," Harry replied. What were his friends on about?

Ron shook his head, refusing to lay the case down. "It was like there was so much hatred between you to that it was physically manifested!" Ron said, his voice light with unyielding amazement. Harry and Hermione raised their eyebrows simultaneously, impressed at their friend's words, Ron wasn't the most articulate of people in Hogwarts, or the Wizarding World for that matter.

Hermione then furrowed her head, considering the statement. "It could it be a possibility. But, if that was possible, then wouldn't that happen with you and You-Know-Who Harry? Has that happened when you two meet? What am I saying, of course you wouldn't be able to see it if you apparently couldn't with Malfoy back there,"

"Maybe it does," Harry said, somewhat trying to console her friend at her lack to find a solution to a problem.

"So what did Professor Snape do?" Hermione asked, trying to move on from her defeat. Perhaps she could stage another confrontation between Harry and Malfoy again and have that thing recreated in control conditions and then draw up hypothesis and – she should get over this_._

"He gave me detention in the Forbidden Forest, alone," Harry said dejectedly.

Hermione gasped before looking indignant. "He can't do that to you! Surely you have to have some supervision from Hagrid or something, what if something bad happens to you and then who are you going to look at?" Hermione frantically asked.

"Slimy git," Ron growled curtly.

Harry shrugged. "Well it's Professor Snape, and he did it. At least I won't have to die alongside Malfoy," he said a little with hope.

"He let Malfoy go," Hermione half asked, half stated dryly.

"Slimy git," Ron declared again.

"Yes, Ron, your considerable observations have been duly noted. We should go to Dumbledore about this, he can't let you go into the Forbidden Forest alone, Harry, especially considering what happened during first year," The bushy-haired girl argued further.

Harry shrugged again. He wasn't as freaked out as one would expect. Harry had been through a lot and a few creepy sounds and breaking twigs couldn't scare him, right? I mean, he has duelled with Death Eaters who were solely using the Killing Curse as if it was quickly going out of fashion. A forest full of creatures and plants couldn't hurt him, right? That's what Harry figured at length.


	8. The Forbidden Forest

**The Forbidden Forest**

Later that evening

"Is that Malfoy?" Harry asked himself as he neared Hagrid's Hut for his detention, spotting him, Hagrid and Fang standing outside his Hagrid's hut. He had receive the official notice of his detention earlier that day but it said nothing about the presence of a certain blonde Slytherin. Perfect. Just when he thought he at least didn't have to spend his detention with Malfoy, the git bloody shows up in his ever impeccable presence and punctuality. Harry really had to stop noticing the blonde's attractive traits.

"I certainly wasn't expecting to see you again today," Harry said dryly in greeting when he finally joined Malfoy and Hagrid with Fang. The dog was as wet and sickly hanging as ever. What Hagrid saw in him Harry would never know.

"Nice to see you too again, Harry," Malfoy greeted with a bright smile.

This, of course, threw Harry off. Way off. He stared incredulously at Malfoy with disbelieving emeralds. Malfoy maintained his tooth-ful smile and fought the urge to to raise his eyebrow as that would bring back the image of the arrogant Malfoy Harry knew all too well. He did, however, flick his head to remove a lock of hair from his field of vision. That, predictably, had a visible effect on the still stupefied Harry. Malfoy knew he could charm, boy or girl.

Blaize had dared him earlier that day. His friend, who had had a crush on the raven-haired boy that he hadn't nursed but had entertained in the beginning secretly, always true to the name of Slytherin, but had died out entirely. Of course Blaize hadn't told anybody about his secret crush, not even his best friend Draco since he was the leader of the Slytherin house and because of that he would have to pass some punishment regardless of his own feelings towards it. For appearances' sake.

So Blaize had dared the pale boy at lunch in the Great Hall when Draco had told him of his and Potter's shared fate. He had proceeded to challenge Draco, saying that he would get him some expensive Italian apparel from the factory his father worked at back in his home country. Draco of course couldn't resist Italian clothing. And because it was a challenge, Draco always won a challenge, especially if it had to do about charming people. His face, according to his closest friends, Blaize and Pansy, lit up at the prize, but that wouldn't seem so to those who didn't know Draco very well. To the untrained eye it was just a lazily raise of an eyebrow and inadequately enthusiastic eyes, if at all enthusiastic so show. All Draco had to do was somehow make the infallible Harry Potter proclaim his wanting to date him in front of the either any classrooms that the trio shared with their Gryffindor counterparts or in front of the whole school in the Great Hall.

So his campaign had began in earnest, and to a prosperous start as it appeared; Potter was still staring.

"Er, hi," Harry obliged uncertainly and a little shakily. He was blinking rapidly and sporting two pink blotches on his cheeks and he was licking his lips nervously every few seconds, waiting for Hagrid to interrupt or something.

"Oh hiya Harry, good ter see yer again er? Yer back fer anada night inne bush with Malfoy again yeah? Just like in firs' year yeah?" Hagrid winked merrily and innocuously, elbowing Harry lightly. Harry didn't know why he was blushing at that statement, he didn't know why he was blushing at it, why was he blushing at it!! Malfoy nearly laughed outrightly in the dark silent air. Maybe the great oaf was good for something after all. You'd think he came up to the giant man and colluded with him to help him in his current mission of capturing Potter. He valiantly kept himself from a fit of hysteria and maintained a smile he knew was a heart-stopper with the ladies.

"Er, yeah," Harry choked out embarrassedly.

"You okay Harry? You look a little flushed, are you having an anxiety attack?" the blonde boy asked with concerned laced in his voice, raising his hand to cup Harry's forehead and cheeks, making the contact linger a little longer at the cheek than was necessary and deliberately holding eye contact with the green-eyed boy.

His body wasn't supposed to betray him like this. Maybe it was because he hadn't had experience in these sort of things and thus his body was just reacting to what was happening. Why was he noticing Malfoy more and more? Why was Malfoy's touching so euphoria-inducing? Harry couldn't even muster enough disgust towards himself for not flinching at the repulsive boy's touch. Harry knew he wasn't gay because he never got a boner in the showers when he saw everybody half-naked. Harry then realized that he hadn't even seen another dick than his own before. Maybe that's why these feelings had never surfaced. No, it was ridiculous. Harry really wasn't gay, maybe it was just Malfoy. Yeah, Malfoy always had an innate, easy ability for enthralling people, the guy was gorgeous! Yeah, and Harry had just finally fell victim to that, that's all. No, he wasn't falling for Malfoy.

And six years of horrible taunting could surely contest such a siege and temporary lack of critical judgement. Harry just kept starring into Mercury, his body inanimate and his mouth agape.

"Harry, you okay?" he heard a distant voice say meekly.

Harry shook his head and consequently the soft hands that had nestled his cheek as well. Damn Malfoy for his soft hands, _probably had them manicured every weekend, poncy git_. Hagrid was seemingly studying the stars of the night sky and muttering things under his breathe to the tune of stars being everlasting, bright and beautiful.

"I'm fine," Harry nearly barked, angry both at Malfoy for this spin and himself for allowing himself to be affected like that. Once they were alone Harry was going to confront Malfoy on this because he was sure it was plot to get him into trouble or to humiliate him or something equally Slytherin.

"Yer two boys be better starting yer detention yeah. I best be sittin' in my cosy warm hut with my little Fangy here. How about it big boy? Yeah?" Fang gave a lousy and lazy excuse of a bark, which was muffled by the drool and the overhanging meat on his face. Hagrid and the dog skipped off into their hut, leaving the two boys together to fend for themselves.

Both eyed the Forbidden Forest in front of them with trepidation on their faces.

"You ready, Harry?" Malfoy asked innocuously, deliberately using the name again to rile the boy up even more. Harry nearly nodded as he didn't trust his voice but then indignantly spoke up, being mad at himself again for the simple notion of not trusting his voice because of Malfoy. No, he wouldn't give the git that much satisfaction.

"Yeah, let's go." He said bravely, or what he thought sounded confident and approving of Godric Gryffindor himself.

Both boys whispered "Lumos." and walked together towards the mouth of the dark forest, their lit wands paving the way. The night noises were already audible as they trekked upon the first few shrubs. Harry and Draco carefully walked, their footsteps light and tentative, and eyes raking over anything in sight, questioning the most innocent-looking of organisms.

"Harry," Malfoy started.

"What happened to Potter!?" Harry snapped angrily in panic and agitation. The way his name sound so smooth and sexy and different on Malfoy's tongue was driving him to insanity quickly. This was so not happening to him. Malfoy looked stung, and he had stopped walking. He bowed his head. Harry was again taken aback by Malfoy's strange actions again that day. Harry quickly looked contrite but didn't really want to apologise to Malfoy for anything if he could for his entire duration at Hogwarts. Maybe if he was forced he might have to. "What did you want to say?"

Malfoy looked up, if only he could see himself and laugh later in his room at his acting skills.

He shook his head negatively. "Nothing, it doesn't matter. Let's keep walking," He knew a through and through Gryffindor would fall for that guilt trip. And Harry dove straight into it. He followed behind Malfoy with a contrite countenance and body language. He tried again. "Just spit it out will you?" Why was he being so mean, I mean, Malfoy hadn't said anything derogatory since they met up and here Harry was not being cooperative and was actually being the antagonist.

Malfoy remained silent.

Harry had had enough of all of this. He took matters in his own hands, literally. He quickly walked in front of Malfoy, grabbed a handful of silky emerald robes and pushed the confounding boy to the trunk of a nearby tree. "What's with you tonight Malfoy? Why are you saying my first name, and touching me and stuff?" Somehow, the list of charges against Malfoy seemed to have diminished during his little tirade. Where were the other things Harry though Malfoy did that were out of character, strange, and... confusing?

Malfoy had a look of a deer caught in the headlights. "I just wanted to... I wanted to say that," Malfoy looked down again in either shame or shyness. Merlin he was milking this for all it was worth! If only the Wizarding World had the Oscar awards.

Harry was now unsure of himself, and of his close proximity to Draco at the moment, judging by the Malfoy's actions. His grip on the green silk pyjama top slackened a bit without his notice. "What is it?" Harry insisted again, though slightly apprehensive at the question being actually answered.

Malfoy looked back up and straight into Harry brilliant emeralds, which looked to match his top. Malfoy kissed Harry full on the lips. He ran his tongue along the lengths of Harry's thin upper lips and sucked lightly on the slightly more voluptuous lower lip. Harry had gasped and Malfoy took this as an opportunity to penetrate Harry's orifice with his tongue and ran it along the top row of teeth. Harry regained his coherence and quickly stepped back, his eyes wide, mouth still open and cheeks lightly tinted pink.

Malfoy drove it home and tried to re-engage their mouths again but did so for only a second before Harry pushed him back and stumbled to the forest floor, breathing heavily.

"Malfoy," He rasped weakly, trying to catch his breathe. Did Malfoy just kiss him? Malfoy just kissed him. "Malfoy, you can't, you can't..." Harry tried to articulate his shock again but failing due to his hyperventilating.

Okay... Malfoy was getting a little worried. Was Potter having a panic attack or was he asthmatic or something? He approached Harry with a concerned face. "Po-Harry you okay?" He asked worriedly, almost saying his last name instinctively, he hoped Harry hadn't heard the disastrous blunder. Harry had backed himself up away from Draco's approach and backed himself to the foot of an opposite tree. He tried to rest his reactive body – his lungs specifically. He closed his eyes and concentrated on maintaining homeostasis.

God this was so embarrassing. Malfoy was probably laughing at him for his overreaction and immaturity. He pushed that at the back of his mind though. Malfoy just bloody kissed him. What was with Malfoy playing at tonight? What was the friendly greeting, that bloody smile and that BLOODY kiss! Unbidden, his mind wondered to the damn kiss and how he had never been kissed like that, or have kissed anyone like that in his life. Malfoy probably had been practising with his numerous female conquests. Did Malfoy have conquests? Is Malfoy gay? Does he have a boyfriend?

Harry gradually regained his coherence, his breathing was down to shallow pants, and his mind wasn't whirring like it did a few moments ago. He slowly opened his eyes.

They were met with a close up of Draco Malfoy, allowing them to see the swirling and sombre Mercury of Draco's eyes and that enviable pale, smooth, spotless skin. Harry jumped back in fright and hit the back of his head with the hard bark of the tree he was currently recuperating at the expense of.

He stood up shakily, balancing himself with the wood of the tree behind him and kept his hold there until he was upright. Malfoy followed him up. He had a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay, Harry?" Malfoy asked Harry's anger nearly flared, but he was too consumed by confusion and hormones to achieve it.

"Malfoy," he said, finally without his voice faltering. "Malfoy, why did you do that?"

Malfoy smiled shyly before answering, partly to hide a few giggles from escaping him after witnessing Potter's reaction to his kiss. "Because I wanted to,"

Harry gave Malfoy an appraising look. "How long," God, Harry hoped he wasn't overconfident.

Shit.

Malfoy had to think fast. How long? Er... ooh! "Merlin, since like forever, Harry. I just wanted to be with you and talk with you, even if I had to be nasty towards you. You can call it 'boy sees girl he likes, but girl doesn't like boy, so boy teases girl until girl likes boy'," Malfoy looked down petulantly, trying to portray someone with genuine affection for bloody Harry Potter.

Harry's jaw had dropped again. "What?" He asked in a small voice. "Since first year?"

Malfoy nodded slowly, his head still downcast. "I always wanted to be your friend, Harry, maybe even more. But I never go to because I thought I could impress you with my name and my fortune so you could choose me over the Weasel and Mud- the Muggleborn, but I guess you didn't want me enough," Draco raised his face to Harry's' again. He thought he should begin an Arts Academy and automatically promote himself as Acting Professor. He took his hand cupped Harry's cheek again like he did back next to Hagrid's hut. Harry's eyes glazed over a little at the soft touch of the other boy. He wanted to remove the offending hand but couldn't steel himself to touch the hand and then remove it from his face both because he didn't want to and he didn't want to actively touch Malfoy because that would have a bearing on his conscience.

Draco slowly inched his face towards Harry's whilst Harry was muttering/moaning his name as he approached his lips once more. "Mamam-foy-mamalalmallfoymmh-" Their lips met again and the most embarrassing thing that could ever happen, happened. And it wasn't even suppose to happen, Harry wasn't one of those people. Harry came in four powerful bursts in his blue and Snitch pyjama pants. Harry slid down slowly to the foot of the tree trunk again, Malfoy's tongue in his mouth and doing unimaginable things to him. At the bottom, Draco had inadvertently straddled Harry and Harry himself was shaking almost uncontrollably.

Malfoy stopped his oral ministrations when he noticed Harry had gone still. He drew back his head to survey the problem, and it looked like Potter was... sleeping. If Malfoy had to be honest with himself, he'd admit that tasting fresh, innocent virginity was so refreshing, and it was Harry Potter. As much as Draco wanted to deny, there was that title there. Conquered had been Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived. This time Draco allowed himself to chuckle a bit a Harry's inactive state, he probably orgasmed. Draco shook the emerald-eyed Gryffindor a little and cooed; "Harry. Harry, wake up, we have to do our assignment,"

A glimpse of somnolent green peeked out from heavy eyelids. Harry tried again to open his eyes and shake his head to regain significant control of his faculties. "Malfoy?" Harry asked dreamily through the mushy reflection of Malfoy's face mere inches in front of him. "I always thought you were too pretty for a boy," Had had a feint inkling something happened that was somehow illegal, or wrong, or not allowed. Harry then quickly got out of his dazed state and quickly exclaimed.

"I didn't say that! I, I, I, er I didn't I meant that er, I..." Malfoy was keeping himself from laughing out loud in the middle of the Forbidden Forest but hearing Potter say that was just priceless – due appreciation for the moment was needed. So Malfoy obliged, he laughed, unknowingly moving up and down a little just like you would when you laughed but he was straddled to Harry here and so Harry was receiving unnecessary friction.

Harry scowled in indignation at being laughed at. "Get off me, Malfoy," he growled. Malfoy held up his arms in surrender and slowly dismounted off of him and stood up to full height, looking at the boy that just confessed he looked pretty. The comparison and the choice of words – specifically the 'pretty' word – were all so naïve and innocent. Malfoy had a wide smile on his lips. Maybe he was attacking the challenge a little too viciously.

Harry was shifting his thighs a little uncomfortably, man he was a mess. Remembering his mortification, he blushed to the roots of his hairs again. And the direct gaze coming his way from up where Malfoy was was beginning to unnerve him. "What are you staring at?" he asked irritably after a few moments of acknowledging silence passed.

"I'm staring at my five year obsession," Malfoy said simply.

Harry scowled and stood up and dusted himself. "You know Malfoy, you're truly amazing at what you're doing here. And just why are you doing it? Another scheme to humiliate me, huh Malfoy?"

Malfoy looked shocked at first, then furious. "I show you what's in my heart and all you can do is question my motives? Harry I just-"

"It's Potter to you!" Harry interrupted quickly.

Draco swallowed painfully. "-Potter, I just confessed what I have felt for you and kept secret for I don't know how long. Do you know how it feels to secretly like a forbidden person because you know if it ever comes out you will be Crucioed faster than you can yell 'traitor' and after liking that person you know that person will never ever accept you and see that you're more than what they think you are!!" Malfoy finished his tirade with a roar. A few scary noises flew through the air of the forest, and some plants twitched indignantly at the disturbance.

Harry was stupefied. Absolutely shocked at the words coming out of Malfoy's words. It couldn't all be true, it just couldn't. What the? Malfoy liked since the first time they met and the reason that he has been so horrible towards him was because he couldn't have him so he did it to get his attention!? Harry was reeling. It was just a plot, Malfoy is planning something, to humiliate him. But that passionate confession, those watery silvers, those reddened soft cheeks, those thine resolute lips. Harry didn't know what to believe anymore. Shouldn't Trelawney had to have said something about this happening soon in his future? Let's not approach the apparent 'professor's' credentials.

But, but, all those humiliating, hurtful, terrible things Malfoy did to him the past, they couldn't just be explained away like that with a mere sentence! They couldn't. Harry experienced those things and so they just couldn't be that simple to justify. But Harry right now so wanted to believe Malfoy, he really did, but it was just too convenient, so simple and abrupt to be anything sincere, all those strange things he had done that night.

And Harry, Merlin forgive him, wanted to feel those lips again, just for the contact and the sweetness and the comfort of having another person doing something to you that is intimate and thus considerate. He was torn. "You can't expect me to believe all of this," Harry said rebelliously both to Malfoy and his mind.

Malfoy's eyes flashed quickly, but he did nothing else. He reverted to his natural poise and elegant grace and composed his features to the same cold, indifferent countenance that he had worn so long and so effortlessly. He stood firm, cleared his throat (for unnecessary and necessary reasons – he had yelled his lungs out) and continued to walk forward into the forest with a calm and measured pace, as if what just transpired had never happened.

Harry looked incredulously at the retreating back of Malfoy, his platinum blonde hair shining distinctly in the light afforded by the little stars and feeble rays of the moon that penetrated the thick canopy of the forest, making Malfoy looked almost angelic, and from behind no less. Maybe he meant what he said about Malfoy's looks than he ever wanted to admit. "Malfoy!" Harry shouted, catching up with the young lad. "Yes, Potter," Malfoy said dispassionately.

Harry was thrown off by the former address and the cold tone of Malfoy's voice.

"You have to understand it by how I see it. I mean, just think about; someone who has made your life a living hell all of a sudden tells you about these feelings for you after doing all that other nasty stuff. Don't you think you'd find it hard to believe?"

"Perhaps," Malfoy replied indifferently, eyes focussed on the passing shrubs for the ingredients of the assignment potion. Harry expected that reply fully. But he didn't what to say anymore, he was having a hard time digesting it himself. They walked in silence.

In that silence, Harry was trying to figure just why the hell did Malfoy like him so much. What was attractive about him? Er... nothing, wasn't too hard a question. He had messy, incorrigible hair, scruffy hand-me-downs from cousin Dudley that didn't fit him, stupid round glasses meaning he was blind without them therefore handicapped and, God, was he that bad? Harry hadn't thought of himself that way before. What on earth did people see in him? Was he that unattractive? Harry tried to dismiss all of those thoughts, he never cared what people thought of him, especially physically. But now, someone was dearly interested him and he had never been this self-conscious in his life before. Harry turned a lovely crimson at his thoughts; he was thinking about how attractive he was and comparing himself with the blonde who was just perfect in every way, even his lack of a tan.

Why was he thinking about Malfoy like that? Harry warned himself again to stop noticing Malfoy and thinking about his looks and wondering how the hell did Malfoy look like he was wearing _Houdani_ whilst he was just wearing pyjamas. And here that very same boy was walking beside him after telling him about how much he liked him and Harry didn't have the famous Gryffindor courage to take a chance and speak to him about this matter again. He resorted to passive attack, rather than head-on bull ram mode.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

Malfoy stopped walking and squarely faced his nemesis with an empty, flat, characterless face. "I don't expect you to do anything, Potter. As you can imagine I have grown quite adept to having bottling up and hiding these feelings so continuing won't be any more difficult. We're looking for mangle roots, vine shoots, and a cut off from the yew tree. They are all usually low-lying expect for the mangle roots which are attached to tree branches." Malfoy squared his shoulders and continued forward. Harry felt worse than before. Screw Malfoy, he can live with those apparent feelings and bury them deep down inside him for all Harry cared because he didn't care and he wasn't going to feel guilty for anything and he wasn't going to raise this issue again and he wasn't going to think about Malfoy in anyway and ask him what Malfoy liked about him because he certainly couldn't figure it out.

They walked in silence, the only sound being of the hopefully sleeping forest and the crunches of their feet on twigs and dead leaves.

"What do you like about me?" Harry asked abruptly, without being slightest bit mature for one having been mentally musing about refrain of this matter for so long.

Malfoy had to think fast, what would he like in Harry. Merlin the guy wasn't helping him at all in the least bit because there was absolutely nothing attractive about Potter. He needed to make something up that was sweet, specific and realistically inane – basically be a Hufflepuff. Malfoy was going to kill Blaize- Oh yeah, Potter was probably going to kiss him somewhere along the line in the year future so let's extend that list - and then bring him back to life, Crucio him and then kill him again for good measure so that Blaize could fully appreciate the severity of the situation, even in death.

At least his panicked silence would pass as a thoughtful pause. "Your green eyes. Every time I made you angry, they blazed, they were so unrelenting and fierce. I think I did that to you so many times just to see that raw emotion displayed so intensely in your eyes. You have beautiful eyes," Malfoy said, speaking softly for added weight. He was hoping his words were sufficiently far from the truth.

Harry couldn't be redder than he was then. _No, it's not true he's just lying,_ Harry thought shyly. _My eyes are not like... that, the way he said it. God do they look like that? _Harry knew he was going to regret this but he needed to ask more. What was wrong with him? Asking his four year nemesis what was right about him.

"What else?" he said almost breathlessly, his heart pounding in his chest. Maybe that was all Malfoy saw and now he put him in a difficult position to answer and he might lie about it because there was nothing more that was attractive and, and, and...

Merlin he was going to kill Blaize. And Potter was not going to make this simple. _Think Draco. You scored gold the first time, you can do it again. I was brilliant the first time wasn't I? Hhm, blazing, unrelenting, fierce eyes, Merlin I can't believe myself._

"There's some vine shoots," Draco said, trying to buy himself time to figure out the next thing he liked about bloody Potter. He pointed at the saving beacon a few feet from where they were, peeking out shyly under a thick thorn bush. They were well into the forest now and the dark was getting asphyxiating, surreal and more suspicious. Stalling for time and spotting the requisite plant wasn't the only reason for his words; He wanted to see if Potter had the courage to ask him again after the interruptive discovery because he certainly wasn't going to answer it without provocation. Hopefully Potter would back out and this would just melt away in the diligent silence while they sought out the plants they were searching for.

"Oh. It's in a thorn bush, I'll levitate it out," Harry made to take his wand out.

"No! God, Potter are you thick!" Shit. He had to continue, salvage. "You can disturb their magical integrity, you can't just perform random acts of magic upon them." He needed to redeem himself. "You keep your cute self there and I'll try to extract it from there okay." he said as he approached the plant in question. Shit, that was a royal blunder. Potter was so fuckin' dim he nearly fucked up his plans to cop him for those promised Italian clothes. God, those clothes better include at least one pair of _Carvela_ shoes.

Harry didn't say anything. At least he was called cute. He was slightly surprised by the admittedly prudent outburst but that same outburst showed that this Malfoy wasn't any different than the one he had grown to detest. Harry figured that this was still the Malfoy he knew, just with a different side to him. Of course he was going to insult him because that is what Malfoy does, but maybe Harry shouldn't be too quick to overlook it but rather take this and use it to detach himself from any other sentimental engagement with the blonde Slytherin so that things could get back to normal and Malfoy goes back to hating him somehow and things just become less complicated than they had become.

"Let me do it, you don't have to get yourself cut," He said, almost desperately wanting to save Malfoy from possibly cutting himself and ruining those perfect aristocratic hands of his, and also as a kind of repayment for calling him cute. Malfoy paused from his movement and turned slowly to regard harry with a careful eye. Harry felt so stupid right now, he blushed deeply, an appreciable (even in the dark night) pink tint to his paedomorphic cheeks.

Malfoy allowed a bright appreciative smile to slowly grow on his coral lips until all brilliant teeth were exposed. He paused before he spoke, just to ruffle the other kid a bit more. And it worked, Harry shifted uncomfortably before raising the white flag and going to the plant and yanking it out out of nervousness, of which the result of such a violent action is predictable.

"Ow!" Harry yelped as a thorn sliced through his palm right in the bulbous flesh associated with the posterior of the thumb, tearing right into that meaty part. Draco rolled his eyes.

Now was the perfect time. "Harry!" Merlin. "What happened?" And what made it worse was that Harry's name was a soft name; no hard t's, p's or q's and that, combined with the fact that is was a caring gesture made it sound so... disgustingly sincere. He got to Harry and quickly grabbed the injured appendage. Harry hissed. "Don't worry, er, throw the plant far away so that my spell won't affect it," He ordered the raven-haired Gryffindor, still clinging to his injured hand.

Harry tried his best to throw the plant without the use of both hands. It landed a good twenty five metres away and Harry wondered how awkward that handicapped throw looked like to Malfoy.

God when did this self-consciousness come from? "Okay," Draco said, qualifying the adequate length of the throw and preparing to make his spell. He couldn't care less what happened to the magical essence of the surrounding vegetation. He thought of a brilliant idea!! Okay, brilliant for the cause but not brilliant for him. He looked up at Harry's pained and waiting face, waiting for the boy to stop hissing in pain and remove his eyes from the hand to his own eyes. Harry wondered what the hell was Malfoy taking so long to heal his hand and did a double take when he looked and noticed Malfoy looking at him meaningfully.

Draco held those emeralds for a second too long and then held the hand up and sucked all the blood off of it. Did this blood possess such a magnitude of power and force? Did its very magic possess such reverence and such a legend that has seen one hundred and twenty nine known and confirmed books in the Malfoy Manor written about it? Maybe if he drank it he could gain at least a portion of that legendary power. He held Harry's wide, disbelieving eyes as he slurped up the crimson liquid and cleaned the wound thoroughly with his tongue. He slowly removed his lips from the hand, making that suction sound and then raised his hand and pointed his wand at the area of injury and muttered a healing spell which elicited a red luminescence above the cut.

"There you go," Draco said with a small smile after watching the deep cut disappear.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled under his breathe. He rubbed at his healed hand for extra measure and then let it drop to his side, now not sure what to do with both hands. Oh, yeah, the vine shoots! "The vine shoots!" he exclaimed evasively, running to the flower he had just thrown in front of them. Draco shook his head behind the Gryffindor boy and followed.

There were a few visible stars in the sky, which was mostly covered by a thick canopy. The moon cast feints shards through the forest and bleakly illuminated the way just a little. The forest sounds were getting louder and more diverse, and more scarier. Draco and Harry walked slowly so not to disturb anything that might be lurking close by. Both were feeling scared, cold and vulnerable, considering they were walking in the opposite direction from the school. Hermione had been right, what the hell was Harry thinking not going to Dumbledore and contesting the supervising part of the detention.

"You didn't answer my question," Harry finally said, god that took so much courage, and to think it was for asking a question and not going against Voldemort alone in his very own quarters of Riddle Manor with fifteen Death Eaters all with wands out at him.

"What question, Harry?" Draco lilted innocently. He was anything but.

Harry's jaw worked for a few seconds. Damn, now he had to actually repeat the question. This was so mortifying.

"I asked you what else you er... like about me," He cleared his throat coyly at the 'like' word. He seriously hoped the list was quite long because Merlin knows he needs the esteem.

Now, Draco didn't have the luxury of time because this had to look truthful and natural, so he had to answer quickly. "Your smile," he said shortly, hoping that it was Hufflepuffy enough. Draco hoped he wasn't slacking on his game here, maybe a smile was rather cliché and too predictable.

"Oh," Harry said. He desperately wanted to go to his dormitory and assess his smile right there but he couldn't. Harry didn't even see how cliché the notion was, he was a virgin and he was experiencing this for the first time and he was very immature about these sort of things, as expected.

"I think it's your turn now, or am I being too ambitious and presumptuous?" Draco asked.

"What?" Harry asked with a puzzled frown.

"I said perhaps it's time you told me what you like about me, if anything at all, and whether I was being too ambitious and presumptuous," Malfoy reiterated clearly.

"Oh." Was all Harry said through blazing cheeks. Why did Malfoy put him in the spotlight like this? There were many things he could say about that but saying them would make them real to Harry and he didn't want to accept that he thought of Draco Malfoy like that. Malfoy couldn't ask that much from him, it was too much and he wasn't ready to answer that for his own conscience's good. But the question was posed and something had to give. Harry let loose.

"Your hair,"

Malfoy expected that to be the first thing anybody would say about him. Of course his hair, it was bloody brilliant! Malfoy rewarded Harry by tucking said hair behind his ear with a radiant smile that brightened up the passageway for a few good yards in front of them.

"Your hands,"

"Your skin,"

"... The way you carry yourself, the way you fly, the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you smile..." Harry was blushing too much to continue and he was feeling very embarrassed for such a treacherous confession for the whole of Gryffindor house, himself and the general greater Good.

"Thank you," Draco said meaningfully. Hair, skin and smile he could understand. But hands, his flying, walking, talking... Was Harry checking him out before today? And if so, how long? This was a sudden notion to Draco and his steps nearly faltered. What was with Potter? It couldn't be. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the enemy of the Dark Lord, might have a crush on him and he didn't even know it!? Did the Boy-Who-Lived prefer blokes?

"No problem," Harry choked out. He was more dedicated to finding those needed ingredients for the Potion's assignment than ever before, frantically scanning the low-lying and arboreal vegetation.

"And these... observations, just how do did you notice them, and when?" Malfoy asked in a soft, considerate tone.

There was a considerable pause before the answer came. "I think I've always noticed but, I just didn't want to admit it I guess, never thought about it seriously. You can call it passive admiration if you'd like," Harry giggled. Draco returned it with a modest smile. Why on earth Potter was so open about this he didn't know. I'm sure even Gryffindors or at least a boy had pride. Draco was still having a hard time trying to understand that Harry Potter had a crush on him, or maybe he was just blowing this out of proportion. He just said; 'passive admiration', that's nothing special or significant. If this was the case then why was Draco trying to force the situation into something?

_Absolutely preposterous._

Draco wondered if this was what Harry really felt. I mean, of course Draco was pretending to be the secret admirer of Harry Potter for a very appealing reward. But Harry, presuming Gryffindors were truthful and non-deceitful absolutely (which Draco believed whole-heartedly because he thought they just weren't capable of it), was telling the truth. And Draco was having a hard time not blushing himself at the depth of Potter's feelings for a person who was supposed to hate him with all the fibres of his being. Draco had truly underestimated Potter's gullibility by a very unflattering margin and also the potential boundaries of the situation; he did not expect those things Potter had said and, Merlin forgive him, they flattered him and made him feel good. Maybe that was what was called 'getting too involved'. Maybe he should bail out. Draco thought about how those _Carvela_s would look with his grey suede pants and black polo-neck which was starkly contrasted by his long, almost white hair draping over it on his back.

"Did you like the kiss?" Draco asked.

Harry's reaction was visibly immediate on his face, blood travels fast. "Er... it was alright," He said, trying too hard to pitch the right tone and speed of his answer so not to hurt Draco's feelings. Oh so he was caring about Draco's feeling now. He then realized that his answer probably sounded insufficient, cold and inconsiderate. He quickly re-amended. "I, I mean it was good, definitely good- I didn't mean – It was good, it was good," Harry finished weakly in defeat, but at least having gained a permanent flush to his cheeks. Harry didn't want to expose himself by saying that was the best kiss he had ever experienced, said experience being none if you don't count the Cho sham. Ooh that sounds like a full name!

"Glad you liked it," Draco said. He was tempted to adopt a husky tone but didn't want to engage himself more than he absolutely had to because he was already having a hard time figuring things out. Harry didn't respond. That is, after a pause.

"It was the best kiss ever," Harry subsequently clamped his hands over his mouth with wide eyes. How could he betray himself like this? Harry blamed the chemicals running around in his body and this bloody forest they were walking through. God he hoped he could spot a useful plant soon.

Draco quirked an eyebrow. "Have you ever had a kiss, Harry? Other than mine of course," Draco liked how Potter blushed. Potter blushed cutely.

"Er, yeah, disaster by the way. It was with Cho last year," Harry answered uneasily. He hoped Draco wouldn't push the issue further.

"Really? Hhm, I underestimate you, Harry," Draco said with a light smile.

"Oh that's really all, otherwise I'm the same boy you always hated," Harry then realized that Draco had said he didn't hate him because he truly didn't but he wasn't too inclined to amend his words. At least the verb was in past tense.

"Mangle root," Draco declared rather flippantly.

Harry turned and saw him eyeing a red-looking flower plant nestled at the nook of a tree with the branch. "Oh. And exactly how are we going to get that?" Harry asked dryly, a little vindictive of Draco's flippant note of his discovery.

"You surely don't expect me to climb up a tree do you? I happen to be wearing emerald silk thank you very much," Draco said imperiously, folding his arms to stem his defiance and preservation of fine garments.

Harry rolled his eyes and traipsed forward to the tree. He looked up at the offending plant and surveyed the height of the imminent climb. "I'm gonna need a hand... up," Harry finished embarrassedly. People always told him to think before he acted, maybe he _should_ listen to those people. He probably sounded like he was voluntarily wanted Malfoy to fondle his arse.

Draco lifted a blonde eyebrow but said nothing. He approached Harry at the tree. Potter was looking quite flustered and unsure of himself.

"Are you ready?" Draco asked a patiently. Harry quickly turned around and wrapped his arms and legs around the thankfully narrow tree, trying to forget how ridiculous he looked like at that moment. Soon after he started to climb he felt cold hands planting themselves on his jeans clad arse and give him a good push. He forgot about the notion and used the provided momentum to thrust himself up the tree. He heard a voice below him warn; "Remember, don't use magic." Harry scowled and trod on up.

Not too long he reached the required height. The tree was really tall but the branches were not too high up, and on one of the branches was a comfortably nestled young mangle root shrub. Harry looked down and asked; "How much should I take?" From here he could see the top of Draco's head. Was Draco a natural blonde?

"Take about three of them. If they're small, take five." Draco replied from below. Harry nodded and proceeded to do just that. He systematically dismembered five roots with red matte leaves from their stem. He figured if he should just take the maximum, too much of anything in Potions might not have been a bad thing. Harry decided to leave that philosophical notion for the Draco Malfoys and the potion masters that had reputable credentials, he should be the last person to ponder on such things.

"Got them." Harry said, climbing carefully down the bark of the tree, making sure not to let go for too long and go crashing on the forest floor and tumbling over Draco. Ooh! Maybe- _No._

"Here," Harry handed over the leaves to Draco, who took them without hesitation and stuffed them into a black satin bag which he pulled the string of and the bag closed and puckered. Harry didn't know why Draco was smirking like that at the bag but he started to walk again into the depths of the dark forest. "One more to go." Draco whispered decisively and moved forward to followed Potter.

They were walking quietly side by side in a comfortable silence on the narrow rough path leading deeper into the forest. There was just one more plant to find and then that whole night would be over. Harry couldn't figure how to describe the experience in the Forbidden Forest with Malfoy thus far. It was strange, scary, new, wonderful, thrilling and confusing all at the same time.

There was a sound.

Harry and Draco caught their breathe and stilled, neither daring to hold out their illuminated wands at the apparent source of the disarming sound.

Silence.

The boys didn't move.

Harry and Draco exhaled in relief. Draco stepped forward-

There was another sound.

Draco stilled again, wide-eyed. Harry moved his wand around frantically, trying to see what was making the sound. It was a definitely an animal sound, a cross between a neigh and a grunt. They were on an open path, with trees and misty vastness on either sides of them. The forest was thick with vegetation so you couldn't see things clearly. "Firenze is that you?" Harry whispered, looking around wildly with the light afforded by his wand.

"Firenze? Who- what the hell is Firenze?" Malfoy asked frantically, scanning the trees and shrubs and the darkness stretching into their path. There was a hiatus of heavy, erratic breathing and anxious searching. The duo dared not move in their places. After a few seconds, their hard panting was dying down and the fear of the faceless monster was dwindling steadily with every passing seconds.

"I think it's gone, whatever it was," Harry whispered in cautious relief. Draco didn't answer. Unknowingly, he had moved closer to Harry during the scare, placing him close enough to him so Harry could feel his body heat.

The night was silent again in the forest. Now that things were back to status quo that was before the incident, Harry realized that Malfoy was perilously close him. His heart rate immediately caught haste again just as fast as the first time. Their shoulders were now touching and Malfoy was still scanning the area warily around them, so to remove all possibility of threat convincingly.

"It's gone, Malfoy," Harry declared to the pale boy.

Malfoy quickly turned to his accomplice and replied, "I knew that," slightly affronted at his noted superfluous observation. Malfoy tossed his hair out of his face and walked away to regain his dignity. Harry rolled his eyes and followed the boy with a smile on his lips.

"It was probably just some curious animal, Malfoy, no need to piss in your pants," Why was he referring to that specific body part all of a sudden? Harry felt really dumb now. How imprudent was that? Malfoy didn't seem to take notice.

"Probably," Malfoy said tightly, his demeanour not shifting at all. Harry didn't like the way Malfoy was acting right now, for reasons unknown to him, he wanted the situation to go back to where it was, when they were relatively comfortable and talking about volatile and exposing issues. God, was he actually trying to go back to what things were before the frightening encounter with a ghost animal back there? Harry couldn't believe himself but he certainly couldn't hold himself from hoping for something that had to do with the insufferable pale boy next to him.

Maybe this was for the best. Maybe that little scare was put in place by the deities to warn Harry of the storms ahead on that particular road. Harry released a breathe which bore the realization of that notion and the dismay at the decision to end things there. It was a nice ride while it lasted. Harry was told he had beautiful eyes and a nice smile so Harry was going to go with that. Why he was taking these compliments from Malfoy don't ask him, he wouldn't be able to answer you.

They trodded on the footpath in a somewhat tense silence. Malfoy was thinking how on earth to revert the atmosphere back to how it was before that fuckin' untimely interlude, he needed more exposure time to work on the side project – Project: Getting Potter.

Harry on the other hand was considering the consequences if he were to be the first one to mention anything that was mentioned before the fright. No, he couldn't do it, there were just too many things that could go wrong. First of all, if this strange new Malfoy was a really a fake, of which the probably it was was high, after all then Harry would have some serious teasing coming his way. And second, he'd lose the faith his fellow housemates always had in him for betraying.

They were heading really deep into the forest now and with each step forward, the boys were considering just abandoning the expedition and just making up a plausible story to cover up the absence of the last ingredient.

Finally, Draco was the first to speak up about the fruitless and rather dangerous searching.

"I think we should just stop here and make up a story about the yew or something, or maybe I can owl my mother and see if she can find it in one of the gardens of the Manor and owl it back to me," Draco said, having stopped walking.

"'O_ne_ of the gardens'? Exactly how many gardens do you have?" Harry asked in slight interest, mostly irritation at the other boy's wealth.

Draco looked at Harry for the first time since the interlude. "Hhm, would you look at that, I've spent fourteen years there and I still don't know how many gardens there are. What I do know is that the expanse it quite vast, you couldn't finish with a touring pace in half a day. It's quite brilliant, really. We even have a few thestrals in our stable." Draco was smiling and his eyes had glazed over, lost in the happy contemplation.

Harry was awed. "You have thestrals? Live, captured thestrals? In your backyard?" Harry asked. He would surely regret the unforgivable amount of awe contained in his voice.

Malfoy obviously latched on, being who he was. He smirked. "Of course we do, I'm a- maybe I can take you on a ride on one of them, hm?" he offered with a raised eyebrow purely out of desperation to cover up the automatic 'I'm a Malfoy' remark. That was the second time he nearly blundered, what was wrong with him? Usually he was very meticulous at anything he did and these slip-ups were just unacceptable by any Malfoy standard. Draco fingered his Malfoy necklace within his green silk shirt to somehow draw some 'Malfoyness' out of it that was apparently lacking at the moment.

Harry's jaw dropped and his cheeks burned. He spluttered a nervous reply. "Me, us ride in, ride in in on a thestral at Malfoy Manor? I, I, I, your father would literally kill me," Harry finished reasonably, finding it the best way to curb his stupid mouth from embarrassing him anymore.

Draco's smirk had graduated to a smile, though he wasn't aware of it. Harry's spluttering was so cute- _No! I did not jus-No! I refuse! No, no. No. _Consequently, on the outside this made Draco's smile falter. He cleared his throat. "Probably, maybe someday when he doesn't feel so grumpy towards you." Draco replied loftily, as if one was discussing embellished relatives from afar.

"As if that will ever happen. He probably won't stop until he delivers me to Voldemort," Harry replied dryly. What a mood spoiler. Harry really had a lot to learn. You don't just throw the most feared and darkest wizard of the century into a conversation, you know, especially not by his name. As a result, Malfoy visibly shuddered and his eyes fluttered a little, boy was he pissing his pants off the first time he had met with the bearer of that name. How dare Potter speaks His name like He's some common soul!? Did You-Know-You even have a soul? Malfoy pushed down his slight irritation for the cause.

The upside to the major turn-off Harry had offered was that now they could escape their conversation which was resembling one of a couple where Draco was asking Potter on a date. Merlin. Maybe that also was for the best. "Probably not," Draco agreed curtly. They looked around them and then Malfoy asked, "Should we call it quits?"

Harry nodded affirmatively. "Yeah, I that would be wise. Don't fancy get my arse bitten off by something I cannot see nor have a name for," In consensus, the two boys turned around and started heading back towards the castle.

As they embarked on their return journey with a much lighter, open and opportune atmosphere, Draco said; "Tell me about where you live, during the holidays," This question he would dearly love to say he didn't really want the answer to but he did. He did want to know where the Boy-Who-Lived lived, and he knew he wasn't the only one.

Harry, understandably, was a great deal apprehensive at answering that question. He didn't want to talk about the Dursleys and how they treated him at all. He didn't want any pity. "I don't wanna talk about it," Harry said at once in a clipped tone. Draco raised his eyebrow at that. They did not just reach a sentimental milestone, did they?

"Alright, off the charts it is," Draco decreed. He swallowed, and on a more serious note, asked; "Harry, what do you think we're doing, right now?"

It took a long time for Harry to answer, and when he did; "I don't know." Draco nodded.

A sound.

Both looked up to meet a half-man half-horse creature thingie. The first lesson when in danger: scream for help. Draco screamed. "Aaaaaaaaaaaah-" Harry clamped a hand on his mouth.

"Firenze!" He exclaimed at the beast.

Firenze bowed his head. "Young Potter, how good of you to grace us with your presence, and indeed the stars have told of such an auspicious night as this. Beautiful isn't it?" Firenze asked, looking at the stars with admiration and respect. Draco furrowed his head in confusion. He tried to articulate a sentence but it was muffled behind Harry's hand, so he bit on it a little.

"Ow!" Harry cried, and fixed Malfoy with an indignant glare.

Malfoy, however, was unperturbed. "This is Firenze! Your 'friend' is a..." He turned to the creature in front of them. "... a horse, man, man-horse, horse-man? Thing?"

"It's a centaur, Malfoy," Harry corrected, offended for Firenze for Malfoy having him called a 'thing'. "This 'thing' as you referred it to happened to be one that saved me back in first year when you and Fang fled and left me alone to deal with Voldemort,"

Draco paled, more paler than he usually looked. "_That_ was the Dark Lord?" he spluttered in disbelieve. Was his real first encounter with the Dark Lord as earlier as first year, when he was only eleven? That means he nearly died!

"Yeah, it was," Harry replied a little less irritably, having noticed Malfoy's genuine fear.

"But he was much weaker than then, much weaker," Harry refused to remember exactly why Voldemort wasn't as weak as he was in first year.

Firenze was studying the pale boy standing next to Harry with interest. "So this is young Malfoy?" Firenze asked rhetorically.

Draco turned to the thing in front of him, squared his shoulders proudly, crossed his arm and tossed his hair regally. "Yes, that would be me,"

Firenze nodded sagely. "The stars and the moon do tell of one as beautiful as the night sky itself,"

Harry blushed crimson.

Was that thing checking him out!? Oh hell naah!

Malfoy's long curly eyelashes fluttered uncertainly. "Excuse me?" he said, some of his disgust creeping into his voice, but for most part it was aristocratic, professional and measured. One pale eyebrow was raised. Firenze made to step forward to expand on his poignant statement. Draco backed up involuntarily.

"I said that the stars and the moon do tell of one as beautiful as the night sky itself. You see, they show me of the coming of one which bears a tumultuous mind but a pure and confused heart. If only, young Malfoy, you could shed your acquired definition, so many could see the beauty and innocent that lies within," Firenze finished with a proposing lift of his hoof.

Was that thing coming on to him!? Oh. Hell Naaah!!

"Listen, Firenze, I don't know what the hell it is you're playing at here, but don't act like you know me because you don't!" Draco warned haughtily.

The beast shook its head. "Excuse me young prince but I did not intend to offend you, I was merely sharing the stars' telling. I have no desire to cause you any discomfort, believe me," Firenze apologized earnestly.

Harry blushed scarlet at the 'prince' endearment.

Malfoy eyed the centaur cautiously for a second, then peered at the stars for a second as well.

_Absolutely absurd. This is probably Trelawney's forsaken son. _

"Firenze, was it you the first time we heard a strange sound?" Harry asked, trying to diffuse the tension around and stop Firenze from further complementing Draco, he didn't need that at this point. Draco finally looked down from the stars and regarded the centaur again, waiting to hear some more gibberish.

Firenze nodded. "Indeed young Potter. But I did not reveal myself to you as I did not want to interrupt what it is you came here to do," Firenze said, looking between the two boys.

Harry blushed cerise for some reason.

"We were just collecting some potion ingredients for our term assignment, that's all. Say, Firenze, can you tell us where we can locate the yew plant? We can't seem to find it and we have to get back to the castle," Harry asked.

Firenze had a curious look in his face. "Ah, it is the yew that you seek. Very well, young Potter, young prince. I do believe there is some a little deeper into the bushes. Do you wish to ride on my back?"

Draco took another step back.

"Er, no thanks, we wouldn't want to bother you that much with our stupid little school project. But you can protect was when big ugly monsters come out to attack us, how about that?" Harry offered amusingly. Firenze somewhat smiled, his brilliant blue eyes coming out and speaking of the life within, no longer tormented by the knowledge of the dark things that were to come. "Of course, it would be my honour,"

"Hhm, prince, I like that," Draco observed distantly. He turned to Potter. "I'm a prince, and you're just... Potter," Draco said superiorly with a smirk, though he made sure not to spit the name out as he was usually inclined to. He turned around the other way and walked. Behind him, Harry scowled but followed. Firenze joined the two boys, walking besides them.

"May I ask what fate had befallen the most powerful students of our most honourable Dumbledore's beloved school to cause you to unite for a common purpose?" Firenze asked lightly. His hooves clogged on the forest floor loudly as he travelled.

Before Harry could answer, Malfoy cut in. "What do you mean 'the most powerful students of Dumbledore's'?" he asked curiously. To be mentioned in the same sentence like that with Potter meant something.

Firenze looked at them sceptically. "Ah, I understand. You do not know of your own privilege,"

Both boys waited for the centaur to continue. "Perhaps I should ask you this; Do any of you believe there is a soul more superior than yourselves in that enchanted castle?" Firenze asked them.

Harry already had an idea of his apparently considerable magical power, of which he had no idea to use or confirm its existence, but Malfoy. Was Malfoy also as powerful as he was? Or maybe more powerful? Draco considered the question seriously. He be damned if he were to admit that any other person was superior to him. But then, Potter... Firenze smiled sagely. "I'm afraid this is an issue I cannot proceed with, it is up to young Potter and young Malfoy to begin decipher such a notion, it's not my place to pry,"

"So you're claiming that I'm as powerful as Harry is? Not that I didn't believe that of course," Malfoy amended belatedly, trying to save face after actually admitting that he previously didn't think he was as powerful as the Boy-Who-Lived was because that was preposterous. Imagine what his father would say, admitting someone else is superior from you in any facet!?

"It is not so much as powerful but powerful in a different way. Aaye, I cannot confess anymore I'm afraid, I cannot betray the very stars that have guided my whole life. Please forgive me, my prince." Malfoy perked up at the address of 'prince' again, a proud smirk firmly pasted on his small lips. Harry was getting ticked off at the complements Malfoy was getting that night. That was the third time Malfoy was complemented about his looks that night. He wasn't that pretty!

"It's okay, you don't have to tell him anything," Harry said with a glare at Malfoy.

"Can't handle the truth, Harry? You shouldn't be the one to talk, you know. It wasn't Firenze here who had his mouth open, salivating from seeing me in the Modelling competition," Malfoy sniffed superiorly.

Harry crossed his arms indignantly. "I wasn't salivating," He muttered petulantly.

Firenze was witnessing the exchange with amusement. "I don't wish to anger you, young Potter, but in part, the Malfoys are legend for their looks. Many believe that their family are of our native Veelas," Firenze piped up.

Draco's smirked grew. Harry furiously scuffed at the dirt of the path with is shoe. Draco saw an opportunity to tease. "Harry, you should really considering letting go of some of your anger. Try this monologue - 'Draco is gorgeous. Draco is gorgeous. Draco is-'"

"Draco is not gorgeous! He is pale and snobbish and is a downright git, that's what you are!" Harry blurted out loudly.

Draco first looked incredulous and then started laughing. Firenze was still recovering from the tirade, praying to the heavens for peace to come to the ears of the forest.

Harry huffed and starting walking forward, leaving the company behind.

Trust Potter to have such an immature reaction. God he was so gonna enjoy Potter. _Oh. My. God. I didn't._ "I'm sorry Harry, come back, please. I'll kiss you for it," Malfoy proposed. Potter picked up speed. Draco giggled to himself.

Firenze turned to the young boy. "The stars tell of no complement with greater potential as this, my prince." Firenze said pensively. Draco's giggles fell. He was getting tired of this man and his apparent guidance from the stars, he really wasn't the spiritual type. But he chose to humour the centaur for a lack of a better activity. And besides, the beast was helping them get their final ingredient for Snape's project, namely the yew plant.

"And exactly what is that suppose to mean?" Draco drawled, relieved at the respite afforded by Harry's distance from them to go back to himself, even just for a while and had to settle for entertainment from a centaur. He had crossed that word before in one of the books he was reading in Malfoy Manor, surely he did.

Firenze merely smiled meaningfully but said nothing. Draco rolled his eyes to the stars. No. He just rolled his eyes, no need to bring in stars any more than necessary, Firenze was holding up that department quite efficiently. The centaur shook its head. "Soon, my prince, you shall see," Firenze continued poignantly. Draco kept silent, hardly amused.

"Young Potter, you explore too far! As much as Firenze appreciates young Potter's bravery, one needs to be prudent of the wild at these times," Firenze called out to Harry in front.

"Did you spot the yew?" Harry turned around and asked.

"I believe so, young Potter. Ah the trees allows us its sweet offerings,"

"Gimme a break." Draco muttered tiredly under his breath. "Well where is it?" he asked impatiently, nearly yelling at the incessant creature.

"Up, up in tree, young prince. It looks like Firenze had reached his limits, young Malfoy. I'm afraid my build does not allow me to attain what you seek from above the ground as it is here that I am at my forte, the air I know not," Firenze said wanly.

"It's okay Firenze, we can use a levitation charm for one of us to get us up there, right Malfoy?"

Draco was duly impressed by Potter's idea. He would have thought of that if he wasn't distracted thinking about a million ways to bash open the centaur's skull and extract all sayings of stars and the heavens and riddles no one can solve! "Of course, Harry. You want me go up there?" Malfoy asked the other boy, not really offering.

Harry seized. "As a matter of yes, I do. I'll levitate you and you'll get the yew," Harry declared.

Draco nearly scowled but held himself. He just nodded. "Okay," he said, getting near to the designated tree to get in position. The plant was high enough so the levitating spell wouldn't affect it at all. Harry was thrown back a little by the uncontested assent of the other boy.

"Well, I see that my duty is fulfilled. I'm afraid that I'm needed elsewhere and I must go. I leave you to your task in peace. Go well young Potter and young Prince. Please, call me if you ever seek my service again, which I will gladly offer," Firenze bade the boys.

"Okay, Firenze, I'll see you next time," Harry bade. Malfoy merely raised an uninspired hand as a farewell gesture. The animal galloped away with a flash of brown and white, the hooves growing fainter by the seconds.

"He was something." Malfoy casually observed into the unseeing darkness.

"He's not a thing. He's a creature that deserves as much respect as the next," Harry quickly defended his first year saviour.

Draco was not going to enjoy this apology. "Sorry, Harry. He's quite an interesting character, talking all sorts about the moon telling him about good things to come or things about complements and the likes. What could that mean?"

"Complements? Beats me. Let's just get the yew and get out of here, my bed really sounds good right about now," Harry complained.

"True that," Malfoy agreed to the motion.

"Okay. Are you ready?" Harry asked Malfoy. Draco was already in place so he just nodded, eyeing the inconspicuous yellow leaves of the yew plants a good few stories high on a thick tree.

Harry cleared his throat and said the spell. "Wingardium Leviosa."

Draco immediately left the ground, leaving the earth and slowly but progressively going up whilst Harry's wand was trained on his person carefully. Harry was in deep concentration as he levitated Draco's body higher and higher up the tree until he couldn't see his noticeable hair from up there. Upon reaching the perfect height. Draco made quick work of the yew; cut four separate twigs with their leaves intact and stuffed them in his convenient black satin bag.

"Okay!" he yelled to the figure of the other boy. After a few moments he felt the familiar force tugging him towards solid ground until he safely reached the bottom of the forest again. Draco wasn't even interested in the scenery the Forbidden Forest had to offer from that height, he was just concentrating the moving grain on the bark of the tree he was 'climbing', not wanting to inspire his mind to recreate his own fears by taking in the view and looking for something to be scare about, hence the speedy work on the yew plant.

"It's done." Harry exclaimed happily, albeit with much exhaustion in his voice.

Draco gave him a small smile. "Yeah. It's time we headed back."

They turned around and walked hurriedly all the way out of the Forbidden Forest, not fancying giving anything else any chance to interrupt them again. They only released the breathes they were holding when they reached Hagrid's Hut. Both of them stood near the hut and took a minute to calm down.

"Well," Malfoy panted slightly. "I certainly learnt a lot in that whole adventure,"

"I don't fancying learning again anytime soon, I think from now on I will appreciate classrooms more often, they're far better than that back there." Harry agreed. He wondered if he should tell Hagrid that they were finished, maybe the giant needed to tick off a register or something. But probably to make sure that they survived. "I'm telling Hagrid that we're still alive." Harry breathed, heading towards the still lit cottage. Draco didn't say anything, just checked himself to see if anything had been lost and dusting off imaginary dust like he always did.

"Hagrid?"

"Oh hiya Harry? I see yer finished yer detention wif Malfoy yeah? Didn't encounter any nasty buggers did yer?" Hagrid asked jubilantly. He was making some tea but Harry declined it because Malfoy was probably still waiting outside since he didn't see him starting to walk to the castle when he was getting into the cottage. And boy did he want to know how things would end that night. Harry blushed inadvertently at the thought.

"I just wanted to tell you that we survived and I finished my detention," he stammered the great Game Keeper.

"Oh, it's ahight Harry. Yer can go have a good night's sleep so yer can be fresh fer temorrow yeah. I'll see yer when yer come down fer my class, 'kay Harry?" asked Hagrid with a quirk of his bushy eyebrow.

Harry laughed softly. "Of course. See you tomorrow. You too Fang," The dog didn't budge. Harry nonetheless walked through the door and closed it behind him. Malfoy was patiently waiting for him, his dark green robes moving slightly with the light breeze.

Now Harry was uncertain. Why did he hope for Malfoy to be there when he came out of Hagrid's hut and what was he expecting to happen anyway? Malfoy took off without a word, assuming Harry was right behind him but not making sure to confirm so. Soon the raven-haired Gryffindor was at his side. They silently made their way to the castle. After a downward flight of stairs their paths were to inevitably take different directions. Draco slowed down approaching where they were to go their own ways. When they reached there, he turned to regard Harry. "So Harry, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Potions first thing in the morning,"

Harry didn't need reminding of that. "Okay," he grumbled out. Draco gave him a small smile and turned and walked away. Harry was blinking and licking his lips behind Draco's retreating back.

"Malfoy!" he heard himself shout.

_Too predictable. _Thought Draco triumphantly. The blonde slowly turned around, hearing quick footsteps coming closer his way. "Yes?" he said, raising a finely groomed pale eyebrow. Harry didn't speak, just kept flicking his eyes from left to right, licking his lips nervously. Draco was seriously going to have to teach him a lip balming spell.

"Do you want a good nigh kiss?" Draco prodded, joking of course.

Harry instantly turned red. "Er, that won't be... necessary. I just wanted to know... what position does this put us in?"

"Do you like me Harry?"

Harry's blushed turn violent. "Look Malfoy, I don't know whether to believe all of the things you said of the feelings you have about me but," Malfoy's eyes had grown colder with each of Harry's words. The pale boy turned around and started walking away before Harry had even finished what he wanted to say. Harry realized that he just hurt Malfoy's feelings and that was remarkable, again. The git had feelings. And it was so easy to believe it with the way he was acting and thinking about shattering that angelic smile of his, it was quite easy to believe that Malfoy did have a heart after all.

"Malfoy!" Harry ran up to the boy. "Look, I'm really sorry but I I just don't know what to think anymore,"

Malfoy regarded him with a cool look. "It's understandable," he said detachedly.

Harry released a frustrated breathe. "I don't know what to think, and I really respect your er... feelings. I, its, do you really feel that way?" Harry had to make sure again that this thing was for real.

Malfoy eyed him stagnantly for a long time and then nodded slowly. Harry acknowledged him with a nod. "I'm going to be honest with you. I have never had someone have those kind of feelings for me for such a long time. At all actually. I have always been surrounded by people who just gawk and think I'm some kid of god. I could deal with that; admiration, but not this. This is something new. And I just want to get it right," He seemed like he was choosing his words carefully.

"I didn't like you from the beginning because you insulted Hagrid and said nasty stuff about my friends and the Muggleborns," Draco remained unperturbed. Or so he would liked to think. Harry was really taking this things seriously and Draco wasn't sure where it was going to end up. Maybe he was getting in too deep. Harry was seeming to start to get emotionally attached. But what else was Malfoy expecting other than just that? He hadn't thought that far and if he was lucky he would have a Potter for an actual, real boyfriend. Absolutely unforgivable by any stretch of the imagination.

"I don't know if you're that same person. You probably are and I don't know how my friends or anybody in this school are going to react if they saw me with you,"

"Do you like me?"

Harry exhaled a breathe again. "Yes. No. Yes. Though I don't know why," His blush crept up to his neck.

"Do you wanna be with me?"

"I don't know,"

Draco nodded understandably. "What _I_ know is that I like you, a lot, and I want to be with you and be able to touch you and just be close to you," he said softly, roaming his left hand lightly over Harry's cheeks, to which the receiver of the endearment looked down and turned redder. "I don't care about the other people anymore. I have thought about this for so long and have turned up and down and rattled the possibilities and the problems we could encounter if by any chances you could accept me. Of which were less than zero but a guy could hope to bag one of... well, the most sought after teenager in the Wizarding World," Boy was it hard to admit that, admitting Harry bloody Potter was the most wanted boy in the world because he thought Draco Malfoy was.

"Jesus, Draco," Harry muttered, hiding his face that was over-flowing with blood.

"Who?" Draco asked quizzically , relieved at the interlude from the mushy gushy stuff he was just spewing out.

"Jesus Christ, he's like Mer... well I guess that would be double blasphemous. I'll explain that later."

Draco arched an eyebrow. That would mean they would talk together in private in the near future. Whether it was about this 'Gezus' person was irrelevant.

"The way I see things it's simple: I want you and you want me. There's no need to involve other people into the equation," Malfoy said defiantly. And if Harry was going to go through with this, he could drop him after the requisite kiss and wash his hands off of it. But was Draco mean enough to do that to someone's feelings in a snap of a finger? Harry Potter's feelings? _Of course._

Harry flushed again. God how many times was he going to do that that day? "Malfoy- Draco, it's not that simple," And both of them knew that was true.

Draco tried his luck. "I want you to say that you like me and want to date me in front of everybody in the Slytherin common room," He challenged. And since when would Potter leave a challenge? He wanted his clothes as soon as possible. "I challenge you," he finished off, probably sealing the deal if he knew Potter. And in confirmation, it was sealed by the look Harry got in his eyes, that look that he got whenever Draco would challenge him, usually when they were flying in a Slytherin-Gryffindor match.

"You know you never win every time you challenge me," Harry reminded sternly.

"Why'd you think I did?" Draco cooed with raise of any eyebrow.

Harry looked uncertain for a moment there. "Fine. I'll do it," he said decisively.

"I knew you would. Do you want me to show you the way to the Slytherin dungeons?" Draco asked.

Harry didn't skip a beat. "No need, I know my way around there," Harry answered confidently.

Draco raised his eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Long story, I'll tell you some other time. All I need to know is the password and when I have to do this,"

Draco gave the raven-haired boy an appraising look. He had definitely underestimated Potter. He so wanted to know just how the hell did Potter know the way to the dungeons. He shouldn't have been surprised really, there was always something more to Harry Potter and his little Trio he was currently leading. They had a lot they would talk about 'later' indeed.

"It's 'Serpentia Immortalis'. Tomorrow, any time you'd like," Draco informed.

Harry nodded. "Right," he exhaled, choosing to ignore commenting derisively on the password.

There was silence for a while. "So the time I'll see you is in Potions right?" Draco asked finally, breaking the silence.

Harry looked up at him from his studying the flagstones on the floor. "Er, of course, Potions, tomorrow. Can't miss that. So er... goodnight... Draco,"

Draco smiled. "Night, Harry. Sleep well." he walked off down the hallway with measured steps.

Harry stood and watched boy traipse away for a while until Draco disappeared after turning a sharp corner. "What am I thinking?" Harry muttered to himself. "Malfoy of all people..." Harry shook his head and continued on his own way to the Gryffindor common room.

"So how was your detention?" Hermione asked as soon as Harry peeked out of the portrait hole. Said boy then went to sit down with his friend on the lush common room couches. Harry slumped into the seat and exhaled miserably.

"Fine," he said meekly. It was starting already, he was lying to his friends. Harry though that he would probably have to start getting used to it. "It wasn't fine," he corrected himself.

The fire at the heath was warm and relieving and gave the room a nice, comfortable atmosphere. Most of the students were already asleep but there a few seventh years hanging around, still doing their homework. Harry thanked the stars he wasn't in seventh year.

Hermione furrowed her forehead in confusion. "What happened?" he asked worriedly, and with a little trepidation; Harry was a controversial case. Harry looked at the clock, it read 22:41. Was he gone for only three hours? Felt like forever with so many things that happened in the Forbidden Forest.

"Where's Ron?" he asked firstly.

"Oh, he's with Pansy doing their Lab Assignment for Professor Snape. Hope he's still whole wherever he is," Hermione finished off weakly.

"He'll be fine, Hermione," Harry assured his friend.

"You still haven't answered my question," the girl reminded none too softly, seeing it as some sort of retaliation. Harry was reluctant to get into this discussion but he had brought it upon himself. He should just went with what he first said. Now he could be forced to divulge some of the things that he and Malfoy went through that he wasn't sure he wanted to share at the moment.

"I can't tell you just yet, I want to figure it out for myself first, okay?" Harry said.

Hermione raised her eyebrow. What was so complicated to figure out about a detention? Maybe he met Firenze who told him some ancient riddle he had to solve. At that thought, Hermione simply couldn't resist.

"Did Firenze tell you something?" she asked curiously, her eyes nearly glazed over with anticipation to solve something. Surely Harry couldn't deny her this. They were friends right?

"Er, no it isn't. But I promise I'll tell you as soon as possible," Harry didn't even want to think about Ron and his own situation right then. Boy that wouldn't go down well.

Hermione smiled assuringly at her friend. "Okay, Harry, if you say so. But remember that me and Ron are always here for you, you know that,"

Harry smiled tightly. "Of course." _Not for this._


	9. Bet Backlash

**Bet Backlash**

"Turn to page three fifty two." Snape bellowed as he entered the class in a flurry of flapping black robes, not bothering to greet the students good morning. As if he ever. The class frightfully took their books out and obediently turned to the appropriate page. Their tomes didn't detail the exact procedure on how to make the potion, but merely told its history.

"I sincerely hope you have begun on your term projects. I have only given you eighteen days to complete it and fourteen of those will be absorbed in the actually brewing of the potion. That gives you four days to hunt down the required ingredients to make the potion in the first place."

There were a few audible gulps making their way around the class. Snape sneered at them.

"Nevertheless, the class will continue. Today, we will be brewing the _Euphoros_ Potion." He announced. Severus Snape remembered what a frenzy the potion had caused amongst him and his fellow contemporaries.

The up-side of the potion was that it wasn't addictive. Hermione was happy to brew another potion like the next genius but she was also wary of its controversial nature. If the name was anything to go by, then it was going to be a pretty popular potion indeed, even though it was supposed to be used to used as an anaesthetic and a reliever of most pains. There were a few indulgent giggles running rampant but were subsequently quelled with one look from the sullen Potions master.

"I warn you that if anyone is caught brewing this potion outside classroom work will be harshly punished and possibly expelled. But certain measures have been put in place in order to prevent that from happening, or mitigating it at the least. Now," The moment to reveal the instructions of making the potion was almost neigh. The kids' eyes were glazed over in anticipation of what would surely be the greatest potion ever to exist. And the most enjoyable too! Snape noted the glint in his pupils' eyes; this was definitely going to become a popular potion. "the instructions are on the board, get on with it. Oh, and we'll be writing a quick test tomorrow on the history of potion, it's properties, uses and abuses, and _side-effects._" He emphasized the last two words meaningfully before retreating into his quarters after giving the class a potent farewell glare .

Snape wasn't lying; the _Euphoros_ potion did give one what would be termed a 'potion hangover': a really bad headache and as an added extra, constipation and painful urination. But many thought it was worth it, hence the history of an unaffected, wide-spanned use. The students began working immediately after Snape had waved his wand at the board, which accommodated the tall, neat scrawl of his brewing instructions before disappearing through the door of his study.

Harry trod over to Malfoy's table like everyday routine. He couldn't account for not dreading it this time, though. "Malfoy," he greeted. He noticed too late that that was too informal. Draco turned to him with a slightly hurt look. "Potter." He obliged, folding his arms protectively and tossing his hair. Harry looked anywhere but at Draco who was eyeing him relentlessly. "So we're brewing the _Euphoros_ potion," Harry stated out of nervousness.

The other boy's steady gaze didn't waver. "Positively." Draco said, his eyes marbles of cold steel.

Harry didn't know what to do with himself. This guy here was watching his every move like a hawk. Then he remembered. Hallelujah! "I'll go get the remaining ingredients!" he nearly shouted.

"I got them all here," Draco said coolly, tilting his head to a purple box on the floor, not changing his posture one bit. Harry for one stunning moment couldn't believe his luck. The day Draco has the all the ingredients they need for their task was today of all days. Damn that Potions Kit of his.

"Oh." Harry said, his relief deflating.

Draco finally turned around and began chopping some ingredients. Harry, knowing that this was usually his task, felt more worse than before. He cleared his throat purposefully. Draco didn't budge. "So what do I do? You usually give me the orders," He attempted a humorous quality but it fell flat.

Draco shrugged without turning to look at him.

Harry's jaw nearly dropped. What was Malfoy playing at here? "You can stop now, Draco." he said sternly.

Draco turned to him. "I beg your pardon?" he asked, not bothering to bless the green-eyed boy with an instinctive raise of his eyebrow, but with an impassive face.

"What are you trying to do?" Harry asked, stopping abruptly as he was suddenly short for words.

Draco's forehead creased. "I'm not trying to do-"

"Yes you are. Are you trying to put me on a guilt trip? 'Cos it's not gonna work. I have nothing to feel guilty about!"

Harry was met with silence. The rest of the class turned to them and quietened down. Lovers' tiff?

"I am not trying to make anybody feel guilty here." Draco replied coolly. And this coolness ticked Harry off.

"Fine," Harry said hotly. He turned to the rest of the class. "Everybody, I like Draco Malfoy here. I think he's a pretty little thing would like to date him," He turned to Draco. "Happy now?" he asked, glaring with those beautiful emeralds.

The class heard a muffled crash and a subsequent expletive from their professor's study.

Silence.

Draco smirked. Mission accomplished.

"...can't believe this..." Blaize muttered in the silence.

"I thought you were going to do that in the Slytherin common room." Draco said calmly in the silence. "You didn't give me much of a choice," Harry replied quickly.

"Er... Harry?" Hermione's voice piped up. Harry turned to her. "Can we talk outside. Now?" she tipped her head to the door. Harry was more than happy to get away from the silence and the incredulous stares. The Hufflepuffs were the epitome of that adjective. Harry followed Hermione outside of the class and shut the door behind him.

"Hhm. One night, that's all it took," Draco observed his work with a satisfied smirk going one Blaize Zabini's way. The receiver scowled. Pansy looked bored, as if she had expected it. She knew when Draco wanted something he usually got it and would go to almost any means to get it. The boy wasn't a Slytherin and a Malfoy for nothing. Malfoys always got what they wanted.

"I'll owl my father at lunch," Blaize said reluctantly in resignation.

"Thank you." came Draco's sweet reply. He turned around to get on with is work, the _Euphoros_ potion. Draco was planning on illegally distributing the drafts he would create of this potion around the school. To his advantage he had the rare unicorn's mane ingredient in his Potion's kit which Snape was to distribute personally in the classroom from the supplies in his study. They were not found anywhere else except there and at only one Apothecary in Hogsmeade but at a very high price; unicorn's weren't killed for their hair deliberately because of a hefty curse (a cursed half life) that would be dealt to the hunter for such a criminal action, but were garnered from already dead ones who died from natural causes or other means that didn't involve man.

Draco wasn't doing it to gain any money because Merlin knew he had plenty of it, but to gain special favours he could employ in the future when he needed them or just wanted to amuse himself. It was an investment. And he would tie his customers to their promise with an appropriate Dark Arts curse, he wasn't taught the Dark Arts since he could eat solid foods for nothing either. His father once told him that when he was a toddler he would pronounce the Cruciatus Curse as "Tusho!" and it would make the victim of the curse turn black in an instant instead of torturing it, consequently the baby's room was always quite a gloomy sight.

"You made a bet to get Harry?" asked one Hufflepuff on the brink of tears.

Draco regarded the person with a smile. "But of course," he answered, sounding pleased with himself.

"You bastard!" Justin Finch-Fletchey, another Hufflepuff cried.

"How could you!" his friend next, Ernie Macmillian, exclaimed from another table.

"You know that Harry never dates!"

"What has this got to with me?" Draco asked the shouting mass coldly.

"How dare you," Came a calm growl from a little back. Ron had came out of his stupor after Harry said something that had shocked him to the core.

"If Hermione didn't tell me anything before I came back to the common room last night, I'd say you had him under a Dark spell. I should've expected it from you."

Draco merely arched his eyebrow.

Ron looked around the room. "Nobody tell Harry anything. I have an idea. Let's make Draco keep to his little bet a little bit longer." He suggested. There was a cautious round of understanding and assenting murmurs.

"I beg your pardon?" Pansy, Blaize and Draco said disbelievingly simultaneously.

"Yeah! You messed with our Harry, you get burnt!" Another hoard of agreeing noises.

The students bunched up together intimidatingly.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Draco stuttered with widened eyes.

"Stay away from my Dracie!" Pansy shrieked.

"Get away!" Blaize cried.

Apparently, Ron was made the leader. "You have a choice, Malfoy. You either lead Harry on and keep him until we find a way to break you up or face twenty curses for the rest of your schooling career here at Hogwarts. And remember nobody is going to believe anything from a Slytherin easily if you should report it. Nobody is stupid enough to believe a Slytherin over a Gryffindor,"

None of the Slytherins dared defend their most prominent figure, they all had prevailing instincts of self-preservation.

"And your plan is to hex me everyday if I don't surrender?" Draco asked in a calm drawl, although he was anything but calm. He was rather impressed at their threat. Hm, who knew Gryffindorks had it in them!?

"Yeah," Ron said, his chest huffing proudly at his ingenious plan and face reddening in a triumphant attempt to match his red hair.

"I don't think-" Sixteen wands were instantaneously trained on one pale throat and one on Blaize Zabini and Pansy Parkinson each. Neville's wand came a little later than the others and was aimed at Pansy, having deeming her the weakest. If only he knew.

Draco looked down at the end of Ron's wand. He cleared his throat.

"And we'll shoot down your little owl if it ever takes flight, Zabini." Parvati Patil hissed down the length of her oak, though no one knew what purpose the owl served.

Draco was now a firm believe in the saying "There's power in numbers."

"Okay, fine. Have it your way. Now get these filthy wands off me," Draco said tightly.

After a few moments of glaring at Malfoy, Ron inclined his head. The wands were slowly withdrawn.

At a swing of the door, everybody who had assembled at the three Slytherin figures scattered quickly to their own tables and resumed their potion-making. The other three Slytherins did likewise.

Harry and Hermione came in without suspecting anything. They parted when Harry went to Malfoy and Hermione to Neville.

"Calmed down?" Draco asked his new special friend. He should have felt more disgusted than he was at the moment and that scared him.

Harry scowled at him. "Could say the same for you," He countered.

Draco's eyes fleetingly roamed over the class. Many were eyeing him and they weren't suitably surreptitious like a Slytherin easily was.

He swallowed a lump in his throat. "There there, Harrikins, don't want you rattling the windows or anything." he chastised light-heartedly. He went closer to him, kissed him briefly on the cheek and went to Blaize's table to confer with him, seemingly. Draco always took what he did seriously. Harry blushed deeply, his mouth dropping and his hand shooting up to touch the spot where Draco had kissed, eyes wide as saucers.

Ron spluttered incredulously from where he stood. He hadn't expected Malfoy to do _that!_ And say _that! _Harry quickly went straight to work, trying to forget the kiss and hide his flushed cheeks. After a few seconds of heavy panting and frantic cutting, Harry couldn't take it. He had to find out from Malfoy if they were actually going to do this.

Harry skittered quickly to the Italian's table, rudely burrowed the pale boy and dragged him out of the class, all the while

Draco's eyebrows creased in confusion. "What is it?" he asked as soon as the door fell shut, sealing them off in the hallway, from the rest of the class. If only.

"Mal-Draco, are we serious about doing this?" he asked the other boy.

Draco straightened his robes and then folded his arms regally. "Why not? Don't you find me particularly attractive?" he said with a proposing smile.

"Yes, yes, you're pretty but-"

"I'm not pretty!" Draco corrected. Potter was now fully conscious and aware of what he was saying so he couldn't pardon him like he had done last night. "I am handsome and gorgeous. Pretty sounds... girly,"

Harry looked at him with a commiserating expression. "I hate to break it to you Malfoy but you're not the most androgynous of guys here, so 'handsome' wouldn't quite be accurate,"

Draco gaped incredulously after his emasculation. Harry continued, "You're as pale as snow and rather... petite. So you look... delicate-like and-" Draco gave him a vehement glare before turning around abruptly and storming into the class.

_How dare he?_ forty feet scattered and flew off in all directions to their respective tables after the door had swung open.

Whilst in his outrage, Draco couldn't help but remember one of his father's fellow Death Eaters who always leered and drooled at him whenever they were guests at the Manor. Draco, by the time he was eight years old, felt disgusted with this man always kept close to his mother whenever he was around. He certainly wouldn't dare calling him 'pretty boy' in front of his parents, as he was often inclined to when he was watching Draco play with Crabbe and Goyle in the back gardens of Malfoy Manor. He hated his soft features and his shortness, as they were what would elicit comments that held indirect disappointment at Draco's manliness from his father.

Draco reached his table and started working efficiently on the potion. _Petite! Delicate! Fuckin' halfblood cunt!_

Harry stared wide-eyed at the doors that had just been firmly shut in his face. He got out of his stupor, opened the door and went to Malfoy's table. The rest of the class seemed to be talking animately with each as he wound his way to Draco, oblivious to the secret eyes trained on his progress.

"Malfoy we have to-"

"How dare you say those things to me!" Draco hissed lowly through clenched teeth, barely restraining his anger.

Harry met his glare with his own. "I was only telling you what I see! The truth! Or is that too alien a concept?"

"Don't patronize me, Potter." Draco growled. Harry was visibly thrown back by the resumed use of his surname. He reared back inadvertently and gazed on uncertainly. "You practically said I'm a fucking girl!"

"I did not say that! I just wanted to point out that 'handsome' wasn't a word I would use to de- Okay you're handsome. Are you happy?" Harry said, resigning to him.

Draco wasn't fazed. But he didn't reply to anything. He continued to brew his potion, sprinkling a pint of moondust into the cauldron before stirring it six times.

Harry continued, "You're gorgeous and manly and brute and very masculine okay?"

"Oh just mock me Potter, why don't you," Draco finally replied. Harry sighed exasperatedly and ran a hand through his unkempt hair.

"Er, Harry, I need your help," Neville Longbottom appeared out of nowhere at Harry's side.

Draco snorted derisively at his words as Harry turned to the round-faced boy after glaring indignantly at Draco on Neville's behalf since the boy was scared witless of the unscrupulous Slytherin. And he was tempted to glare at Neville as well for his wonderful timing, but resisted.

"Sure, Neville, what do you want?" Harry asked him, nearly spitting out the 't' there irritably. Neville seemed to be doing something akin to... thinking... because his face was screwed up like he was releasing something wicked through his er... inferior sphincter. Harry started to breathe through his nose though, he wasn't risking incapacitation whilst in Snape's classroom.

Draco looked alarmed. "Longbottom, don't you dare fart around my potion!" He shouted at the other boy. "Potter, go with him, or something!"

"Relax, Draco, he's only thinking," Harry said, his lips quirking up slightly in amusement at Draco's antics, despite himself. Draco's featured assumed a less panicked expression. "Oh. Well, that explains that,"

Neville didn't dare to say anything amidst them to defend himself, he just looked down in embarrassment and clasped his arms. "Let's go somewhere else, Neville." Harry suggested, softly steering the boy away from Malf- Draco's table, of which the other boy directed the path. Harry furrowed his forehead when they reached Hermione's table.

"I saw things were getting heated and sent Neville there to interfere before things got out of hand," Hermione said bashfully. Harry glared and scowled at her for her efforts but lamented that she was probably right; M-Draco was quite livid. Wait, _his boyfriend_ was quite livid. No, Draco, it sounded way too strange. Harry blushed inextricably at the thought.

"Thank you, Neville. You can start slicing the newt tongues okay?" Hermione told Neville. He nodded and went around the bushy-haired girl to do what he was told, hopefully innocuously and without incident. She turned to her friend. "Why are you having a discussion about Malfoy's 'masculinity' over there?"

Harry's cheeks adopted a nice pink tan. "I, er, he- he's just mad 'cos I called him petite and delicate," Harry finally managed to articulate through his intense flush.

Hermione raised one heavy-looking eyebrow. "And you thought it was alright to call another fellow male 'petite and delicate'?" she asked sceptically.

Harry's blush deepened to a less lenient shade of red. "Well, he isn't jagged and hard like most of the guys I know," he chipped out defiantly.

"Yes but, Harry, calling a guy 'petite and delicate' isn't exactly what one would call prudent."

"I got it okay! Just stop saying those words!" he exclaimed, one note short of a screech.

Hermione sniffed unrepentantly whilst stirring her concoction, which turned a metallic midnight blue.

She studied Malfoy from where she was. "Well, I can't say you're completely wrong, though I on the other hand wouldn't point it out to him so explicitly. Just flatter him, he probably has been called that many times and he just became ticked off over the years by it," she said reasonably. Harry couldn't explain why he wanted to tell Hermione off for staring so indulgently at his boyfriend. He reminded himself that Draco wasn't his boyfriend and that anyone had the right to study anything they found interesting freely. But this didn't stop him from glaring though. After a few seconds of ogling, Hermione's eyes met fleetingly with Harry's incessant emeralds. She turned away quickly to resumed her potion-making, clearing her throat and strategically hiding her face with her wild hair.

After such mortification, she sought revenge. "I never took you as the possessive type," she said innocently.

Harry immediately gaped at her and started spluttering. "I am NOT POSSESSIVE! I don't own him or anything! I can't believe you just said something like that!"

"Serves you right," she muttered vindictively under her breathe. She had never been so embarrassed. Harry continued to eye her accusingly.

"Harry, I do hope you take our chat we had outside there seriously. This is Malfoy we are talking about here," she whispered, eyes darting about to spot unwanted ears.

Harry sobered up. "I know. But... I don't know if we are actually..." Harry's eyes glazed over in contemplation. Hermione respectfully left him to it. "...but he just kissed me..." He almost said the word 'again' after 'me'.

Hermione whipped her head to the green-eyed boy. "He what?" Instantly, her girly side overtook her. She squealed. "Aaah, when!" she asked enthusiastically. Harry eyed her warily, to which she cleared her throat. "I caution you again on this dangerous endeavour, Harry." she said formally, primly inclining her head and daintily cutting up the mistletoe leaves.

"Er, okay," Harry replied uncertainly.

"What's happening?" Ron said as he appeared from out of nowhere.

Harry blanched. He hoped fervently that Ron hadn't heard what they had been discussing. "Nothing, nothing," Harry said quickly. "Soooo, how is the Chudley Cannons doing?" he asked, trying to distract Ron from where their conversation was headed. Ron was predictable, Harry knew he had escaped when he saw his friend's eyes widening and then inhaling deeply to begin to divulge all the latest Quidditch news of the past week, Chudley Cannons being the major subject. But before Ron had finished describing the aforementioned team's seeker's journey to catching the snitch for the first time in that season, Snape emerged boisterously from the door of his study. Ron hadn't even had time to look disappointed at not finishing his speech as he sped off to Millicent Buldstrode's table with an unflattering squeal.


	10. Harry's Enormous Euphoric Error

**Harry's Enormous Euphoric Error**

"Come up and collect your unicorn manes." Snape ordered as he came in.

A few minutes after the class had retrieved the hairs, the deadline came, since adding the hairs was one of the last steps in brewing the potion.

"Times up. Get to the front with your phials containing your 'potions' immediately."

Snape took his position in the centre of the semi-circle that was rapidly forming at the front of the class. Snape directed a sneer at Potter. "Mr Potter, if you would be so kind..." he said, his hand sweeping graciously to the middle of the circle indicatively. He had went into private quarters again and had returned with a strange spherical object he had placed on a nearby table and shoved off anyone who got in front of it. He whispered "Initialis." to the mysterious object. The thing didn't animate in any visible way.

Harry gulped nervously. He went to the front as usual and took the proffered vial from Draco in just about time to not let it go crashing to the floor because Draco had released it a little too early as he was still in his dark mood. Harry swallowed the dark blue, metallic concoction in one go. The taste was surprisingly little (probably the prelude to the potion's intended purpose), maybe just swaying slightly to bitter and smelled of cough syrup.

The crowd had gone silent while the Potions master stood there in his sullenly resplendent glory.

After about fifteen seconds, the Boy-Who-Lived began giggling and swaying precariously on his feet. Hermione made to rush to her friend's aid but Snape stopped her with a halting arm; people tended to say things that weren't meant to be spoken when in states like these... and Snape wasn't going to miss out on Potter, that's for sure. Snape's smirked in relish.

Harry giggled again. "This feels so GREAT!" he screeched, bunching up his shoulders ecstatically. He appeared to be in genuine bliss. "Draco! I am – so – sorry!" Harry said through more giddy giggles, waving his palms out in order to convey his message more effectively. Draco merely raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. A few Slytherins laughed at Harry.

"I am sorry I said you were pretty! But guess what!? You _are_ pretty and there's nothing you can do about it!" Harry shouted elatedly. The whole class guffawed heartedly at the stupid words. Harry right on laughed with them. "You agree right?" He said, turning to one of those who was laughing and laughed together with him, nodding all the way, as if the other person was agreeing with him. That person braved a shy glance at Draco and nodded his head at Harry. Harry snickered and nodded with him.

"You'd think the way he took offence to it that it was like I was telling him he was a ten-feet mountain troll. I mean, he should be grateful, some of us have got big funny glasses and scars to compare with and he complains!?" There was no unexposed uvulae in the room. The professor looked on the unfolding scene of Harry Potter making a fool out of himself. "Maybe we should trade places and let him what it feels like to look like a piece of a hobbo's arse!" The class screamed for their desperately needed lungful of breathe as hysteria took hold of them afresh. Ron and Hermione couldn't even physically go to their friend and stop him from embarrassing himself further, they were doubled over in laughter.

Harry was laughing and smacking his thighs. "I mean look at us!" he said, glazed-over eyes going around the semi-circle. "We're fuckin' dementors, that's what we are! Some of us have warts that span our whole faces!" The kids laughed harder, fingers jabbing shakily at each other. Snape had a strange look on his face, like he was trying hard not to laugh. Several people fell to the floor, opting to bang on it. Harry put a hand over his stomach and fell down on his arse, which caused a hitch in his laughing. The fall seemed to have sobered him up a little as it looked painful, making a few people try to grimace but couldn't in the wake of mirth. Harry then slowed down to giggles, so did the rest of the class, wiping their tearful eyes dry and sniffing, a few wanton laughs escaping their lips at unexpected intervals.

After a few seconds, Harry's laugh was demoted to just a silent, lopsided smile on his face as he looked at Draco from the floor as one would the love of their life. Draco felt his cheeks flaming up at the attention and the rest of the class 'aaah'ed in admiration of Harry's affectionate smile. Harry then pointed at his chest and mouthed 'I like' and pointed at Draco, then mouthed 'you'. He laughed sheepishly at himself after that, so did the rest of the class.

Snape cleared his throat. "Well, that was certainly... enlightening." Declared the Potions professor, he had seen enough. "And disturbingly so." He harrumphed further. "Now we have to test the rest of the potions. Since I cannot have a whole class of blabbering imbeciles like the one you just witnessed here all at once, we are forced to use Potter as a test _dummy_, or guinea pig to be less crude, though I personally prefer the former."

Hermione felt outraged. "Sir, you cannot possibly-"

"I can and I will, Ms Granger," Snape informed smoothly. "Since the potion is quite sensitive to other potions working alongside it, its effects would be negatively affected or cease at all if one were to ingest a _different_ potion whilst it's still working." Snape looked at Harry pointedly, who was giggling happily on his own whilst looking up dreamily the ceiling. The class laughed at him. "So if there's the slightest discrepancy in your potions, Potter will sober up almost completely. If there isn't and it's the true brew of the _Euphoros_ or Euphoria Potion, then Potter will promptly continue in his office of 'blabbering imbecile'."

Snape's cold black pools of marble swept to Hermione's hazelnuts. "All of this has been approved by the headmaster and this potion _is_ in the school syllabus," He said silkily to the bookworm. Hermione looked the other way, still fuming inside. She looked down at Harry. Poor, Harry, they were going to use him to test all those potions. Considering what Harry looked like at the moment, the whole testing would resemble an orderly stuffing a Down Syndrome patient with bottles of medicines. But Hermione couldn't do anything about. It was perfectly legal. _Argh, these Slytherins. And they'd probably force feed him it just to show they can_. Hermione nearly cried then. Harry looked so peaceful on the floor, smiling so happily-_It's a 'Euphoros' potion, Hermione. I'm getting carried away. Just don't take the situation by how it looks. It may look brutal but it's not._

"Ms Patil and Mr Boot, you're up first." Snape ordered.

Parvati Patil approached Potter like he was some mental patient. She smiled with him and giggled a little before coaxing the mixture through his lips.

"Parvati and Boot, what do you reckon?" Hermione asked secretly Ron through the side of her mouth, a trait she had learnt after having to bail Harry and Ron out of numerous occasions when the Potions Master asked them direct questions.

Ron weighed them up. "Slytherin and Hufflepuff, Patil- good, Boot- probably mediocre. So, I say fine," Hermione nodded in acknowledgement of the reassurance.

Harry looked conflicted for a few seconds, before his goofy smile came back. The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs sighed in relief; one more person who didn't scramble the Golden Boy's brains up.

"Mr Flinch-Fletchey and Mr Finnigan." Snape summoned.

"Hufflepuff and Gryffindor – all's good mate. No worries," Ron said without being prodded. Their potion elicited no different reaction from Harry.

"Ms Granger and Mr Longbottom." Snape smirked at them.

Hermione tentatively approached Harry who still staring into the ceiling with a content smile. "Here, Harry, try this, it doesn't taste bad." There were a few who booed at her soft method.

Harry paused for a second, and then put on his lopsided smile back on again. Hermione exhaled in relief.

"Mr Weasley and Ms Buldstrode." Snape's cold voice came out.

Ron gulped nervously. What if he betrayed his friend and made him a permanent dunderhead!? Ron slowly approached Harry, the clasped phial shaking in his hand. "Harry," he gulped. The Boy-Who-Lived turned to him and smiled. Ron went down to his knees. Harry made fun of his wild red hair by ruffling it and everybody laughed at him. He didn't care, his whole attention was fixed on Harry. And chances were his that their potion was wrong. Why didn't he work harder at it!? He didn't know it was Harry who was going to drink it. He couldn't care less if the subject was a Slytherin or maybe even Snape himself! "Here, drink this." he said to the other boy. Harry took it without hesitation, since he had done this before, and drank up. Ron prevented him from spilling all of the phial into his mouth.

Ron waited with bated breathe for his friend's reaction. Harry snapped out of it. "What the hell is going on?" he asked dreamily.

Snape's triumphant voice cut through the air. "Mr Weasley and Ms Bulstrode fail the assignment as you can see, Potter is no longer euphoric. Zero, Mr Weasley. Now get out of my sight." Snape proceeded to call more pairs up but used a different guinea pig; Harry had done enough, according to Ms Granger. Snape glared at her for her interference but called out a different name to take to the front and swallow potions. Today was just Snape's day wasn't it. I mean, he was enjoying Harry making a fool out of himself and if that stopped, he would then enjoy awarding the person that caused it a zero. It was a double treat! This infuriated Hermione more than anything else.

After the period had ended, Hermione dragged her two friends and stomped out of the class.

"I cant' believe that man!" she hissed in the hallway.

Ron nodded fervently in agreement. "That slimy git. You should have seen him Harry, he was smiling all the way. Fuckin' Slytherins! Hermione, we're going straight to Dumbledore!"

Hermione's nod was less confident that it should've been. "Yeah, it couldn't have been right,"

"What happened?" Harry asked, royally confounded.

"Don't worry, Harry, we will have Snape fired before he can say 'greasy git'!" Ron said.

"What did he do? I don't really remember, it's all fuzzy," Harry asked both of his friends in trepidation, Hermione specifically because Ron looked incensed and was probably going to just spew curses and insults.

"You don't have to remember anything, Harry, Ron and I have this covered,"

"Just tell me!" Harry yelled.

Ron hesitated a little, but answered after noticing the glare from Harry. "He was making you drink the others guys' potions to see if they worked. And Harry, you looked so... happy and dumb and Snape just didn't care, he called group after group to come and feed you the potion. I'm sorry, Harry," Ron then brightened, "But my potion was the one that snapped you out of it!" he said proudly. It fell just as quickly. "I got zero for it..."

Harry absorbed all this silently, and ignoring the concerned look from Hermione. He grimaced.

"I didn't make a full out of myself, did I?" he lamented to ask the two.

Ron averted his gaze and started to whistle. Hermione took out her light reading material and began reading religiously.

Harry's groaned. "I did. Whatever it is, don't tell me."

Before lunchtime, the incidents in the Potions room had spread throughout the entire school.

The day was characterized by gaping mouths and incredulous gasps. In the Great Hall at lunch, the chatter was alive and buzzing off the roof. When he entered the large room he was met with a lot of giggles and blatant finger-pointing as he traversed the length of the Great Hall to his seat. Harry sat down in his chair with a scowl and started packing his plate. Nobody said anything directly to him but it was evident that the major subject of the gossip was him.

Even though he had been under a _Euphoros_ potion, Draco couldn't get the picture of a happy and smiling Harry miming 'I like you'. It brought up a smile to his face every time without his permission. He was so cute! Those green eyes, full of contentedness and giddiness, beaming up at him so adoringly. Draco smiled as he ate his omelette, not being able to contain himself. To be the sole receiver of such idolization was overwhelming for him. Potter's euphoric glee had been contagious, making the Potions class giggle excitedly and shooting glances at Draco that clearly conveyed that they couldn't believe Harry was looking at Draco Malfoy like that. Draco also thought it probably seemed unnatural but he wasn't minding! Even his biggest admirers didn't look at him like that.

"Draco! Snap out of it, you look no better than Potter did in Potions!" Pansy remonstrated disdainfully from beside him. Draco's smiled promptly dropped and he fancied Pansy with a glare. If only she knew how close she was. Pansy shook her head and continued to eat her lunch.

"Draco you seriously bummed out this time, man. And to think you had done it in one night to be have to forced to do it now for Merlin know how long!" Blaize laughed. Draco couldn't bring himself to sulk for show but he did make Blaize to hiccup when he gave him a quick elbow to the ribs.

"Ow!" Blaize hissed indignantly.

"What did Draco do when _he_ drank the potion?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione excitedly, readying himself to have a good laugh.

Ron's spoon became paralyzed in mid-flight to his mouth. "Er, well, he didn't drink it," Ron admittedly uneasily.

Harry had an inkling about that. Dammit. "Okay, I'm feeling braver now after my shepherd pie, what did I do when _I_ was under the potion's effects?" he asked.

Ron shifted uneasily in his chair. Hermione started nodding to some random words from Seamus, whose mouth was rapping in all directions, which worked to her advantage; there was no specific person one might surmise Seamus was talking to.

"Guys?" Harry said in a low growl.

"No need to get forceful, Potter," came a familiar, cold, sneering voice from behind. The table hushed at the appearance of the Potions master. "You will be able to view your... actions when I expose you to the entire school," Snape lilted smoothly. "Of course this is for _educational_ purposes as it will be used to highlight the stupidity one assumes when dealing with such a potion as a warning to anyone who might try to brew it." With that, he stalked off with a malevolent smile, mumbling something about that being the day he lived for or some sort as he went out of the Great Hall. Snape had been discussing the 'visual warning' with Professor Dumbledore at the beginning of lunch, and when he heard Potter inquiring on what he had been doing, well, he couldn't resist. Dumbledore had sportingly agreed to it.

Hermione gasped. "That is what it was!"

The table turned to the bushy-haired girl. "The thing Snape put on the table when Harry was... was under the spell of the potion. It was probably some video device of some sort,"

Most of the kids at the table frowned. Harry had an enlightening moment and had a look of dread.

"A video is a Muggle device that captures visual input. So that means Snape visually recorded Harry and is going to show it to the rest of the school." Hermione informed the others. Harry started banging his head on the table, Ron rubbing his back comfortingly. His fellow housemates shot commiserating looks at him briefly before continuing with their chatter, their conversations entertaining the possibilities that would arise if they were to possess this amazing-sounding Muggle device called the 'vidio'.

"I'm going to Draco," Harry declared, scraping his chair to sit up.

"What, why?" Ron said in panic.

"Because I want to," Harry replied tersely.

"Why is Potter coming here?" Pansy asked with a disgusted grimace.

Draco looked up and a smile escaped his conscious volition, adorning itself on his coral lips. Harry returned it as he walked up to the table.

"Potter," Blaize sniffed haughtily at the Gryffindor as soon as he had arrived.

"Zabini," Harry said dispassionately.

"Don't mind him, he's just jealous I got you before before he did," Draco assured him. Blaize fell into a fit of coughs. He beat his chest and stomped his foot, but to no avail. Harry and Draco laughed at him. Pansy remained silent and just ate her lunch quietly, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Were you needing something?" Draco finally asked when Blaize had seemed to calm down somewhat.

"Er... I wanted to know what I did when I was in euphoria land," Harry said bashfully.

"You tell me what Snape said when he was at your house table first," Draco countered, always the Slytherin.

Harry blushed. God, now his question would sound so stupid, "Oh well, he just told us that he was going to... reveal what I did at Potions through some magical device,"

Draco suddenly realized. "Oh, that was what that thing was. He refused to tell even me. Well, then I don't have to tell you now then, do I?" Draco said, raising his eyebrow patronizingly.

Harry felt the heat rush to his face again. "I want to hear it from you,"

It was Draco's turn to blush. "Oh." he said most eloquently. "I think I would be impartial in telling the story so let's just wait for Snape to reveal it, shall we?"

Harry's face hardened. "What did I do, Draco?"

"Potter, I think you have overstayed your welcome," Pansy spoke up, not liking the tone in which Potter was addressing her Dracie.

"_I_ think I didn't ask for your opinion," Harry shot back heatedly. Pansy's eyes narrowed at him.

"Who cares what you think, Potter!?" Blaize said.

"There, there, Pansy, Blaize. Harry is always welcome to our table, is he not?" Draco asked her friends.

"Of course," Came the insincere replies after a stubborn second.

Draco exhaled imperiously. "In short, you said you liked me and insulted everybody around you, not in any particular order,"

Harry's mouth dropped. "I what?" he stammered out.

Draco wasn't going to answer that and Harry knew it. Blaize rolled his eyes and Pansy pursed her lips and sighed exasperatedly.

"Shit." Harry cursed under his breathe, his shoulder slumping in defeat. A few quiet moments passed. "Well, I guess I'll see you around,"

"Of course." Draco smiled at him and waved goodbye.

"You are the most short-sighted people I have ever met," Draco hissed at his friends ignominiously. Pansy and Blaize at least had the decency to flush at their humiliation, though for a reason they were yet to know. At least Draco could have the decency of saying that when not so many other Slytherins were listening in! They both glared away the amused looks they were receiving, so many were interested in the golden, or should it be said, silver words of the Slytherin Ice Prince. "Imagine the favours we could gain if I were associated with him, amicably." His friends looked satisfactorily contrite and chastened, so Draco just sighed disgustedly and left it there.

At dinner, Snape wasted no time in announcing Harry's demise. There was a new brightness in his eyes that no one had ever witnessed before. "Your attention, please." The Potions professor bellowed as he stood up from the High Table. Everybody knew that that 'please' wasn't there actually, including Dumbledore. The bustling noise hushed down immediately and all turned to the sallow man in front. Snape went around the High Table and stood in front of the entire hall after placing a mysterious looking object on top of a stool in front of the four tables.

"In our fifth year Potions classes today we were brewing the _Euphoros_ Potion. As you can derive from the name, this concoction allows one to enter a state of euphoria. The effect is similar to that of some well known opiates, and it is for this reason that I have organised this little warning about the consequences of ingesting such a potion," His black pools floated to Harry's emeralds dazzled by trepidation. "you make a fool of yourself." he finished.

Then he turned towards the rest of the hall. "Those of you who will ignore this warning and go ahead and illegally brew the potion, then perhaps the unfavourable side-effects will deter you which include constant nausea, constipation and head ache. Now," Snape's eyes flashed and a cold smirk curved his pale lips. "our resident famous celebrity, Harry Potter, was chosen as a test _dummy_ to test the authenticity of the numerous potions made by his fellow classmates. Sincerely, with the greatest pleasure I present to you: _Potter's Potions Poop up_. Enjoy." Professor Snape smirked malevolently, then whispered something under his breathe which immediately elicited a white spherical light from the purple object on the stool. The 3D light grew until it until its radius was exactly ten metres.

Hushed whispered littered the four house tables but were cut off when Snape whirled around and shot them a withering glare. The Potions professor then slowly turned around again and went back to his seat, leaving dead silence behind him. Professor Dumbledore waved his hand and all the candles died.

The purple magical object was centred in the sphere. The scene was set in a Potion's classroom. Many students were gathered at the front of the class, with Potter in the middle looking around nervously. There were some confused faces amongst the kids watching the 3D 'video', not knowing what to make of it. Then, the screen-Harry took a potion from screen-Malfoy who looked as resplendent as ever in his long platinum blonde hair and pale unmarred face. Screen-Harry imbibed the proffered potion and then starting giggled lightly. Some students both in the 'video' and in the hall started giggling at him as well. Real-Harry felt his cheeks blaze. He continued to watch his damnation through long eyelashes. Draco, at the Slytherin house table was sitting unamused, hands and legs crossed over each other.

Screen-Harry giggled again. "Draco! I'm-so-sorry!" He squealed.

After the show, the Great Hall was howling with laughter. Even McGonagall's lips were quirked upwards a little, which was as close to a smile as she gotten that evening. Soon after the hysteria had died down, the Hall started to clear gradually. Harry didn't talk to anybody until he was in the safe confines of his dorm room. Of course he wasn't so lucky as to escape the boisterous jeers the Slytherins threw at him and the Hufflepuffs' insufferable giggling. He wanted the night to be over as quick as possible.


	11. Malfoy Dazzles Some More

**Malfoy Dazzles Some More**

Later that night all of them had done their homework and were now preparing for bed. Ron took sympathy upon his friend. "Don't worry mate, all will be fine. The school will forget about this soon enough. And that ferretty git is not even that pretty. It's not as if all the girls swoon as soon as he enters the room,"

"I know for a fact that most of the girls in this school think Malfoy's hot," Seamus informed knowingly, milking the situation for all it was worth; he didn't assume superiority too much of the time. The others didn't halt in their motions but their ears secretively sharpened. Seamus smirked imperiously and folded his arms. "You won't believe the things that come out of them, especially the quiet girls. And I can tell you that Hermione is not so anti-Malfoy as you might think,"

Ron jumped to her defence out of reflex mostly. "You're lying! Hermione would never find that poncy git attractive! She despises him!" he was nearly squeaking the words. And it didn't escape anyone that he sounded like he was trying to convince both Seamus and himself.

"Mate, who here gets to listen to girl talk? And believe it or not, most of the things that are said that have to do anything with Malfoy are quickly followed by..." Seamus let his eyes fall on the raven-haired boy indicatively. The other guys turned to him.

Harry started. "Me? They talk about me?" he said incredulously, cheeks slightly crimson.

Seamus' eyes gleamed. "And not only that but... you and a certain someone doing things... together..." he said with a mischievous grin. The whole room had stilled and gaped on at the Irish boy claiming some ludicrous things. Ron came out of his own stupor with an incredulous bark.

"Harry and Malfoy? The girls talk about Harry and Malfoy? Together?"

Seamus quirked an eyebrow and a smirk in reply. Harry jumped in. "That's crazy! That's, that's wrong, they can't do that!" he sputtered indignantly. The blush had been replaced by a paler pallor of his skin.

Seamus closed his eyes and crossed his fingers. "I swear on my kilt," There was a silence throughout the room. All the boys were obviously rendered shocked beyond motion.

When the silence seemed to stretch on and on, Seamus finally rolled his eyes, walked over to his trunk and then produced a copy of the latest Witch Weekly. "Ever since Malfoy had... dazzled everyone at the modelling competition," A few eyes swept surreptitiously over to Harry, Ron's included, "he has been requested time and time again to come back and shoot more photos by popular demand." Seamus opened to the correct page and placed it on one Dean's bed with a flourish. The bed's owner, Ron, Harry and Neville came closer and inspected the page.

There was Draco, shot in all sorts of scenarios and poses. The page made sure to comment in the caption that he had been wearing no make up whatsoever and the pictures weren't enhanced in anyway. There was another moment of silence, each one taking in all the pictures and waging a war with himself to convince himself that it was a lie and Malfoy simply couldn't be like that in real life. Seamus looked around the room with a grin at the absorbing and disbelieving faces of his housemates, their arms folded over their chests protectively. He then took the magazine off the bed.

Ron's hand had nearly shot out of its fold for a second in a placatory move but he hid it by scratching at his arms. The rest had made similar jerky movements, suggesting that they were going to protest but thought better of themselves. How incriminating. "Well, I guess I'll keep this since I'm the only one in here who thinks Malfoy's gorgeous, so..." Seamus said. They were eyeing the paper in his hand with uncertain interest and hesitant curiosity. The silence spoke for the other boys. Seamus turned around and placed it on top of his trunk instead of inside, and walked out, half-thinking they would be brave enough to actually take it.

There was no doubt about it. Malfoy was simply hot. Those pictures were just showing what he already had. Pale unmarred luminous skin, the slightest hint of a nose so delicate, pristine forehead capped by laid-back stark white platinum hair. The finest, sumptuous neck one could dream of connected to a heart-wrenching chest and torso with the faintest suggestion of well-defined muscles stringing it from below. And then that wonderful skin stretched over everything as the final piece of this complete arsenal. The magazine was there, right there, waiting to be perused.

The boys had not moved from Dean's bed after Seamus had closed the door behind him. After a few seconds of indecision, someone at least dug deep down in them to jerk alive the thing that had sorted them in this house in the first place. "I'm just gonna, ahem, just check out what the girls find so fascinating about that book, you know," Dean uttered whilst rubbing the back of his neck nervously. The others spurred into action and quickly assented with dismissive "Of course, yeah,"s, "Sure, why not,"s and "Hm, hm, right,"s. Dean cleared his throat and walked over to the Irish boy's trunk, all the while eyeing the book. He picked it up and turned the pages leisurely as if he was considering them, but obviously wanting to get to page 37 with the pictures of the Slytherin Ice Prince.

The crowd at Dean's bed stood there, intensely watching Dean's every muscle on his face, irises included. Then Dean stopped paging. His eyes widened by the slightest of fraction and were dancing furiously around the page he had reached from where they could see. They saw Dean's Adam's apple bob up and then back down again. Ron, Neville and Harry were barely sitting tight. All that was needed was Dean's pulling the magazine closer to his face and they came running.

The four boys looked at Draco's pictures for a considerable time. Malfoy was doing unimaginable things with his long almost white hair. They saw him closing his eyes sultrily and some pictures had him actually smiling, not even a provocative smile but a simple smile, something they had never seen Malfoy do. And they were beside themselves.

Probably to break the tense silence they had fallen into whilst they were indulging on Malfoy, Neville cocked his head to the side at a white spot near the middle of the page where the spine of the book was. "Is that Seamus' semen?" he asked quizzically. The other boys had seen that already. And to think they still hadn't pulled out and walked away at least in shame when they noticed it. Now that they were forced to openly acknowledge that that really was a cum stain, they just had to pretend surprise and disgust and scatter apart. They did so, Dean shooting Neville an openly irritated look, not bothering to hide it, before putting the book down.

For retaliation of acknowledging the fact that they had been goggling at Malfoy's pics for one reason or another, and to keep the tense atmosphere at bay, Ron casually said, "This just goes to show that he really is a poncy git," There were all round passionate agreements from the others.


End file.
